World Cup 2026: ‘By no means Was This A Pink Card’ – Pochettin

US coach Mauricio Pochettino has defended Folarin Balogun after the striker acquired a straight purple card for an unintended studs-up conflict on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic throughout their FIFA World Cup 2026 spherical of 32 match.

Regardless of the dismissal, the US staff held on to safe a 2-0 victory and advance to the final 16.

Reacting after the sport, Pochettino strongly disputed the VAR determination, calling it a traditional soccer motion and stating it was by no means a purple card as a result of the contact was purely unintended.

“By no means was this a purple card. Watching it on TV, ​by no means was there intention to step (on) the participant,” he instructed the post-match press convention.

“That was a traditional motion in soccer. That occurred by chance ⁠and it’s by no means intentional. ​That’s the reason for me it was by no means a purple card.

“However he’s additionally completely happy as a result of we certified… He wants to grasp that the sort of state of affairs ‌occurs.

“I hope that, for positive, he’s going to have the ability to assist us once more. I hope that we go to the following spherical.”

Whereas US nationwide staff officers explored the potential for an attraction, FIFA laws don’t allow the difficult of World Cup purple playing cards, that means Balogun will likely be unavailable for the USA’s subsequent match in opposition to Belgium.

Balogun, who was born in New York however raised in England and now performs for French membership Monaco, has netted 3 times for the US this World Cup, after his brace within the opener in opposition to Paraguay.

He’s solely two behind Landon Donovan’s all-time US document of 5 World Cup targets.