Michael Schuerman

Husband I Dad x4 | Gamifying Fitness I Fearless Living I Daily Encouragement I Follow me and let’s level up together I Philippians 2: 3-5

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@jeeeke2 @DavidFurones_ @alltime_josh I’m talking to you not him 😆

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@tyhildenbrandt It makes too much sense that why. And it shifts power

[Tactical Manager @ManagerTactical]

We are getting rigged allegations against the USMNT 🇺🇸…

Ladies and gentleman, we have made it!!!

[Lia @liabinkin]

It's funny seeing people come up with all these conspiracy theories. At the end of the day, FIFA corrected a procedural mistake, that's it. Whether you agree with the original red card or not, the VAR protocol wasn't followed, and FIFA has every right to correct that.

If this had happened to your country instead, you'd probably be making the exact same argument. People forget it was unfair to begin with because the review didn't follow the proper procedure. If the protocol had been followed from the start, the red card might never have happened in the first place.

The funny part is that some of the same people criticizing FIFA for using Article 27 are also the first to complain when referees make clear and obvious mistakes or don't follow the Laws. If you want officials to be held accountable, then that has to apply here too. If nobody corrects procedural errors, they'll just keep happening.

[Mac Algo @MacAlgoTrader]

As an American I never want to beat a team that is missing their best player. I want all the smoke. Guess things are different overseas.

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

This is the whole point. All the people crying and up in arms won’t even acknowledge this has already happened this tournament.

And it’s happened a few times before as well.

[UNITED STATES SOCCER CULTURE @USSOCCERCUL]

For what it's worth, FIFA lifted Cristiano Ronaldo's three match suspension for violent conduct during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Instead, he served a one game suspension and two games got deferred for a year.

Same thing happens here for Balogun. He will serve his suspension somewhere down the line.

#USMNT

[Stars n Stripes FC 🇺🇸 @starsnstripesfc]

Reminder that Belgium is only in the Round of 16 because they scored 2 goals on a push in the back and a weak penalty given to them 😂😂😂

These are the people calling corruption

Senegal 🇸🇳 should be the ones up in arms!

[Dan Wolken @DanWolken]

Was it corruption? FIFA righting a wrong? A favor to Trump?

No matter how Folarin Balogun’s suspension got overturned, America has nothing to apologize for.

Column for @yahoosports https://t.co/VoYE4lZeQD

[E.B. Beaumont @CoachBeaumont]

1) Balogun is the fifth (5th) player in this WC to have a red card ban adjusted in some way to allow them to play.

2) Review of red cards is a constant in every professional soccer league and it's far from unprecedented to have the full penalty from a dodgy one removed. It's the norm for such decisions not to be final and unreviewable.

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@WadePlem The euro mind can’t comprehend it

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

Rational minds will prevail.

But if not, AI will.

[Grok @grok]

Yes, analyses (including ESPN) confirm VAR used slow-motion/stills to recommend the on-field review for *intensity*/serious foul play—violating IFAB protocol. Slow-mo is for facts/point of contact; normal speed for intensity.

FIFA has discretion to suspend sanctions and exercised it (ban suspended for a year, no detailed public rationale given). That procedural flaw provides reasonable grounds to correct/mitigate, even if unstated. Precedent concerns remain valid.

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@_Dan_Austin What does any of that have to do with what we’re talking about? Delete your account.

[The Athletic @TheAthletic]

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino launched an impassioned defense of the controversial decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban, thereby allowing the USA forward to play against Belgium in the round of 16 Monday.

“If anyone was harmed in this whole situation, it was the United States. Can anyone justify the idea that we weren’t punished? I mean, playing 30 or 35 minutes a man down in a World Cup knockout match? It’s not as if we’re benefiting. No, no. There’s no extraordinary gain we’re getting out of all this. I mean, ultimately, we aren’t victims, but we aren’t the villains of this story either.”

More from @tombogert: https://t.co/Hvpj87vVq9

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@YahooSports Nah. Not really. FIFA just did it before the WC so Ronaldo could play his games. Where was the outrage there?

[Jason McIntyre @jasonrmcintyre]

The problem is he DIDN’T get a red card
He got NO card
VAR gave him a red

How many times in the last 30 years was a player shown NO card, then upgraded to red on VAR?

Ahhh, VAR is new 😁

[Chris @chrisdigiusto]

@Gryffix It was a bullshit red and FIFA did the same thing for Ronaldo. Plus the VAR referee push for the decision off of slow mo when there wasn’t even a card given on the field, which is against the FIFA protocol. Bad process to reverse it but bad process to give it in the first place.

[AppPatriotgirl 🇺🇸 @goneers]

Everybody is bitching about Trump requesting that FIFA review the ridiculous red card call. The real scandal here was the bad call. It was clearly an effort to knock the USA out of the World Cup by benching their best player, but nobody seems to care about that.

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@bavedikian I hope the U.S. wins 3-0 to put a cap on this

[Michael Schuerman @SchuermanATL]

@markvalorian Great take Mark!

[Mark Valorian @markvalorian]

A fantastic decision by FIFA.

Red cards are given out as a punishment to deter bad behavior; when the behavior is accidental, issuing a punishment is entirely performative.

Balogun’s red card served no purpose. Its only role would have been to unjustly handicap one of the best storylines of the tournament in their biggest (and most visible) moment so far.

A fantastic move by FIFA to recognize this and correct to allow the players to decide the outcome of the game. Well done.