On one hand, Folarin Balogun finds himself in the Golden Boot race among the World Cup’s top goal-scorers with two goals in as many games.
Folarin Balogun: “It’s also important to be smart. I don’t want to pick up a yellow card either and miss the Round of 32.” (FrontRowSoccer.com)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
IRVINE, Calif. – On one hand, Folarin Balogun finds himself in the Golden Boot race among the World Cup’s top goal-scorers with two goals in as many games.
On the other hand, the U.S. men’s national team striker has a yellow card entering the team’s final Group D match against Türkiye on Thursday.
It would be better for the team if Balogun did not play and avoid getting a second yellow, which would banish him from the Round of 32 game.
Naturally, Balogun would love to play, but he understands the situation.
It’s always team before player.
That goes triple at a World Cup.
Of course, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have the final word on whether the forward will see the field at SoFi Stadium (FOX, Telemundo, 10 p.m. ET).
Balogun, who became only the second player in USMNT to score multiple goals in a World Cup contest (in the 4-1 triumph over Paraguay on June 12), was awarded a yellow card during the 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle on Friday, June 19.
If a player receives two yellow cards, he will have to sit out the next match. If Balogun or any teammate sitting on a yellow is slapped with a second one against Türkiye on Thursday, he would be a spectator for the Round of 32 match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on July 1. The risk is too high.
Regardless of whether he plays along with three other teammates with yellow cards, the focus is the same, Balogun said
“The most important thing is to go out there and win, regardless of whatever team the coach decides to play [me],” he said. “The objective and the aim is to go out there and win three wins from three games. First opportunity, great history, to put a positive message out there, not just for ourselves, but towards other teams. So, you know, I’m sure the objective of all of us is to go out there
While the Americans know they will be competing in the Round of 32, Balogun said he is living in the now, not worrying about the future.
“I’m sure some of the staff or some of the other players might be looking at that,” he said. “But to be honest, I don’t really understand mathematically. If we get certain points, how we play, and all of that stuff. Whenever I get told to prepare, I’m just going to go out there and prepare for that. So, I just kind of focus on the present.”
Through games of Monday, the incomparable Lionel Messi leads everyone with five goals, after his brace in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria. French striker Kylian Mbappe had two goals after the first match, and Norway’s Erling Haaland also had two.
Just being mentioned in the same sentence as those three superstars was an honor for Balogun.
“I think it’s anointment seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland,” he said. “They’re so inevitable, I think scoring a goal a game, sometimes more. It’s just about trying to get to that level to be inevitable as well. I’m sure I’ve got the potential in me to do that.”
Thanks to the opening two victories, there is a growing excitement about the U.S. team throughout the country. The squad is off to its best World Cup start in almost a century. In fact, we’d have to go all the way back to the very first World Cup to match the accomplishment of two successive group-stage wins. The U.S. reached the semifinals before Argentina recorded a win.
“I’ve been trying to comprehend it,” he said. “America’s such a big country. It’s difficult. Weston’s [McKennie] been showing me videos. When I sit next to him on the plane, he’s been showing me videos of fans in different parts, watching the games on some big screens in bars and stuff. Every time we score, they were celebrating in different places.
“I think it’s not something any of us can really comprehend because we’re in it, but I think once we’re out of it and getting on with our daily lives, I think we’ll be able to see the impact you’ve made. It’s a beautiful thing.”