Balogun fourth player to score goal, receive red card at World Cup [Full List]

USA forward Folarin Balogun etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Thursday after becoming only the fourth player to score a goal and receive a red card in the same knockout match.

The 24-year-old found the back of the net as the United States secured a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in their Round of 32 clash at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

However, Balogun’s evening took a dramatic turn later in the match when he was shown a straight red card for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic.

The dismissal places the American striker in a rare group of players who have both scored and been sent off in a World Cup knockout fixture.

Before Balogun, only three players had experienced the unusual feat: Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, Ronaldinho in the 2002 World Cup quarter-final and Garrincha in the 1962 World Cup semi-final.

Despite the sending-off, USA manager Mauricio Pochettino defended his striker, insisting the challenge was accidental rather than malicious.

Speaking after the match, Pochettino said: “Balogun? Never intentional, never a red card.

“Watching it after on TV, it was never the intention to step onto the player; it’s a normal action in football that happens by accident.”

The victory sent the United States into the Round of 16, although Balogun now faces suspension after his red card.

Vanguard News

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