Pochettino regrets limited role in Balogun red card decision at World Cup

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed regret for not being more involved in the appeal process of Folarin Balogun’s red card during the World Cup. Balogun was sent off in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia, but FIFA’s disciplinary committee later suspended his one-match ban for a year, allowing him to play against Belgium. The controversy surrounding this decision impacted the team’s morale before their 4-1 loss to Belgium in the last 16. Pochettino acknowledged that a change in the punishment following the referee’s decision could have altered the outcome of the match.