That red card for Folarin Balogun technically could even lead to further discipline.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — When referee Raphael Claus raised a red card early in the second half of Wednesday night’s U.S. win over Bosnia, it sent a scare through the American bench — not to mention an anxious fan base that suddenly had to consider how the United States can survive Monday’s round-of-16 match without its top scoring threat.
After studying the play, Claus determined Folarin Balogun’s contact with Bosnia’s defender amounted to a “serious foul.”
According to International Football Association Board rules, serious foul play involves a challenge that uses “excessive force or brutality” or endangers an opponent, leaving the referee to determine when a line has been crossed.
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Balogun technically could face further discipline. A longer suspension could be appealed, but disciplinary rules from FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, for this tournament leave no recourse for the one-game ban: “If a player or team official is sent off … they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match.”
That means while the Americans survived Wednesday’s red card, they now have to figure out how to survive without Balogun for the most anticipated U.S. match in years.
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