World Cup Recap
Garrincha. Ronaldinho. Zinedine Zidane. To that list of players to score a goal and receive a red card in a World Cup match we can now add Folarin Balogun.
The United States’ top goal scorer at this tournament can consider himself unlucky. His sending off yesterday after opening the scoring in an impressive, if scrappy, round of 32 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina was arguably less forceful than Lionel Messi’s unpunished challenge in Argentina’s opening match. Balogun’s dismissal caused feverish debate online.
Despite the setback, meaning the Stars and Stripes had to play the last 35 minutes in San Francisco with 10 men, the team went on to score again through a late Malik Tillman free kick, to make it 2-0. It’s the first win in a men’s World Cup knockout game since 2002 and the first against a European team in the knockouts.
The U.S. faces Belgium on Monday in Seattle and will have to reach greater heights against a team ranked ninth in the world — this time without Balogun, who must serve a one-match suspension.
But even before yesterday, the U.S. has shown it’s capable of winning without key players, namely Christian Pulisic in the group stage. Hopes are high that the U.S. bandwagon keeps rolling. Beat Belgium and it would be only the second time in the modern era that the U.S. has reached the World Cup quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, Youri Tielemans was Belgium’s hero in a dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Senegal, whose Ismaïla Sarr ended up scoring four goals in four appearances at this World Cup. At 124 minutes and 44 seconds, Tielemans’ winner — a penalty kick — was the latest goal scored in World Cup history.
A clunky England also came from behind to defeat the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with captain Harry Kane scoring a brace in a 2-1 win. England next faces Mexico at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca), where the co-host boasts an undefeated record across 10 World Cup matches. The Three Lions will need to acclimate quickly to the 7,300-foot (2,200-meter) elevation at the stadium.