USA in the World Cup round of 16: Balogun ban makes Belgium an endurance test
The USA qualified for the World Cup round of 16 with an anthem and passion - but the red card against top scorer Balogun and his suspension against Belgium cast a shadow over the duel with the Belgians.
The USA qualified for the World Cup round of 16 with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in Santa Clara and turned the arena into a choir with “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. But the celebration of the historic success is marred: Folarin Balogun, the team's top scorer, was shown a red card in the game against the Netherlands and is therefore suspended for the round of 16 against Belgium. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to make do without his top goalscorer and is faced with the challenge of readjusting the attack.
