Swanson: Justice for U.S. star Folarin Balogun, red card for VAR

Swanson’s criticism centers on VAR decisions after the U.S. men’s national team’s 2-0 Round of 32 World Cup win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, arguing that Folarin Balogun was wrongly shown a red card. The incident occurred after 62 minutes, when Balogun was sent off following a VAR review tied to contact with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic at Levi’s Stadium. The U.S. played much of the second half down a man, and Balogun’s suspension would remove its leading scorer, who had netted three goals in three matches. Former referee expert Andy Davies said the contact appeared accidental and that slow-motion and still replays were not aligned with VAR protocols for red-card situations. U.S. face Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday in Seattle.