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Folarin Balogun put the United States ahead of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup’s round of 32 match on Wednesday night with his third goal of the tournament, then got a red card early in the second half that forced the Americans to play a man short for the remainder of a 2-0 win.
Balogun celebrated a goal with The Silencer move used by the NBA’s LeBron James — twice — but the first time he put the ball in the net the goal was disallowed for offside.
He received a red card from Brazilian referee Raphael Claus for stepping on Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Claus didn’t initially signal a card but showed Balogun red after a video review.
Balogun became the third player to score and be sent off in a World Cup knockout game after Brazil’s Ronaldinho in a 2002 quarterfinal against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final against Italy.
“It never was intentional,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land.”
Balogun has to serve an automatic one-game suspension for Monday’s round of 16 game against Belgium.
“We told him we’ve got his back. We’re a team of 26, not just one,” defender Chris Richards said. “One man’s down, the next guy steps up.”
After Balogun’s goal was disallowed for offside in the 31st minute, he put the U.S. ahead in the 45th minute as Malik Tillman’s pass was deflected into his path by Bosnia’s Stjepan Radeljic with a sliding clearance attempt.
The ball deflected off a foot of Muharemovic and bounced in front of Balogun, who with his left foot sent the ball between goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj and the far post for his third goal of the tournament and his 12th international goal.
James, a 41-year-old who is the NBA’s career scoring leader, designed the celebration to quiet a hostile opposing crowd. For his part, James also celebrated on social media.
Balogun matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.
Balogun received the Americans’ fifth World Cup red card after Eric Wynalda against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo against Brazil in 1994, and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope against Italy in 2006.
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