US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has stated he regrets not being “more involved” in the situation surrounding forward Folarin Balogun during this summer’s World Cup. Balogun received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which typically carries a one-game suspension.
Balogun's ban for the subsequent match against Belgium was suspended after lobbying by the US Soccer Federation and US president Donald Trump, who said he called Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Infantino maintains Fifa’s disciplinary committee made the decision independently. Pochettino, speaking with broadcaster Andrés Cantor, suggested the negative energy from the affair contributed to the USMNT's 4-1 defeat to Belgium.
Pochettino also indicated that the group involved in US Soccer’s efforts to get Balogun on the field against Belgium may have been too large. He believes these types of decisions should be managed by a much more limited structure, with very few people making such choices based on sporting considerations and common sense.
The USMNT is scheduled to play Peru in Orlando on Saturday, followed by matches against Chile, Mexico, and Canada during the current international window.