Former Team USA star wants to see red card rule change after Folarin Balogun controversy

John Harkes, a subordinate of the 1994 USMNT World Cup squad, was astatine Levi's Stadium connected Wednesday nighttime and had the aforesaid absorption arsenic conscionable astir everybody erstwhile Folarin Balogun had to permission the game.

"We kept going, 'Wait a minute, that's not a reddish card,'" Harkes said of his absorption successful an interrogation with Fox News Digital.

"You know, we're successful the stadium, and close distant I deliberation I was lasting determination adjacent to my daughter-in-law and our grandson, and past my lad and my wife. Both my lad and my wife, Cindy and Ian, turned and said, 'That's not a reddish card.' And I'm like, 'Oh my God,'" helium said. "I don't deliberation it was a reddish paper astatine all, to beryllium honorable with you."

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Bosnia's Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States' Folarin Balogun aft Balogun was sent off, arsenic Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup circular of 32 lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)

With Balogun's absence, the USMNT had to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game. However, a reddish paper results successful an automatic suspension for the adjacent game, meaning that 1 authoritative tin change aggregate games with conscionable 1 decision, adjacent if it is, arsenic Harkes enactment it, a "50/50" play.

Harkes was "a victim" of thing akin successful 1994, the past clip the United States hosted the World Cup anterior to this year. He earned yellowish cards successful the archetypal and 3rd games, prompting a suspension for the United States' July 4 crippled against Brazil.

"It crushed me. I kept reasoning to myself, this is the champion successful the satellite coming together, and you're going to marque a subordinate beryllium retired the adjacent crippled due to the fact that of yellowish paper accumulation?" Harkes said.

USA's John Harkes (6) successful enactment vs Switzerland's Marc Hottiger (2) during a Group Stage A lucifer astatine Pontiac Silverdome. Pontiac, Michigan. (John Biever/Getty Images)

FIFA RULES LEAVE TEAM USA NO RECOURSE AFTER FOLARIN BALOGUN'S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD

Soccer surely is not baseball, wherever the rules are ever-changing. But if determination was one, Harkes would similar to spot reddish cards from 1 crippled not impact immoderate others.

"That's mode supra my wage grade, but astatine the aforesaid time, truthful galore radical sermon it connected a accordant basis. So let's truly instrumentality a look astatine this and see: Does it marque sense? I don't deliberation it does. Not successful a tourney format. I don't deliberation so," helium said.

Unfortunately for the U.S., determination is thing anyone tin do. Article 9.6 of the 2026 World Cup regulations reads, "No protests whitethorn beryllium made astir the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play. Such decisions are last and not taxable to appeal, unless different stipulated successful the FIFA Disciplinary Code."

"If a subordinate oregon squad authoritative is sent disconnected arsenic a effect of a nonstop oregon indirect reddish paper (second caution), they volition automatically beryllium suspended from their team’s consequent match," Article 10.5 states.

Folarin Balogun of the United States is shown a reddish paper by Referee Raphael Claus during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 lucifer betwixt the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium connected July 1, 2026, successful Santa Clara, California. (Getty Images)

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Despite it not looking similar Balogun had immoderate sick intent, the United States volition person nary prime but to find a replacement for idiosyncratic who has astir apt been its champion subordinate successful what is present possibly the astir important crippled successful U.S. shot past connected Monday night.

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