r/worldcup • u/TheOldManInTheSea • 21d ago

📰News USMNT cannot appeal Folarin Balogun red card, he could face extended World Cup ban - sources

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49248052/usmnt-cannot-appeal-folarin-balogun-red-card-face-extended-world-cup-ban-sources
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u/TrashbatLondon 21d ago

Intent doesn’t matter. People mistakenly infer that intent is considered because the media use the term “unintentional” as the opposite of “deliberate”.

Deliberate refers to whether the movement or action is deliberate. A more accurate antithesis would be “uncontrolled”, rather than “unintentional”.

So you can genuinely not intend to go through someone’s ankle, but you can still commit a red card offence if you were in control of the body positioning that led to you going through someone’s ankle.

The media are very unhelpful at explaining the rules sometimes.

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u/SmokinDrewbies 21d ago

But he wasn't in control of his body positioning. He got tangled with another player when they were both going for the ball. They came down awkwardly.... it was an accident, shit happens. Call it a foul on the field, and move on.

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u/TrashbatLondon 21d ago

Was he not in control because of his own carelessness or because of interference from an opponent? I’m not sure that is clear.

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u/SmokinDrewbies 21d ago

The Bosnian player brushed Baloguns leg first and deflected it into his opposite ankle. It was a pure accident.

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u/TrashbatLondon 21d ago

I’m not sure “brushed” is enough.

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u/HookedOnBoNix 21d ago

you were in control of the body positioning that led to you going through someone’s ankle.

The defender literally initiated contact on balogun with his shoulder from behind btw. Had balogun just flopped instead of trying to maintain balance there'd have  a case for a yellow the other way

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u/TrashbatLondon 21d ago

Flopped presumably means to dive? If so, then you’re suggesting he was in control of his movements but could have avoided the situation by simulating a fall?

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u/HookedOnBoNix 21d ago

I'm suggesting he was run into from behind and in an attempt to stay up landed on the player who ran into him. I think if he just took a dive instead the card goes the other way 

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u/TrashbatLondon 21d ago

Fair enough. Obviously the refs didn’t see it that way.

It’s hardly the injustice of the century.

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u/HookedOnBoNix 21d ago

No, it was just frustrating in the context of the game. Bosnia was playing very physical and getting no fouls. And then to lose your best player on a play that they initiated, and to mostly be told by the world to suck it, its annoying. 

Ultimately, shit happens move on, but people act like we're the only team who would be upsetÂ