what did Folarin Balogun of the U.S. Men's National Team get red card for

Folarin Balogun was sent off for a serious foul after video review showed him stepping on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle/calf while battling for the ball. The call was widely described as controversial because the contact appeared unintentional in real time.

What happened

• Balogun scored first for the U.S. in the match.

• Later, in the 64th minute, he was shown a straight red card after VAR review.

• The referee judged the challenge to be serious foul play.

Why it was disputed

• Several reports say the replay made the action look harsher than it did live, and U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said it was not a red card.

• Balogun himself said the contact was unintentional and that a yellow card would have been fair.

Bottom line

It wasn’t for dissent or violent conduct off the ball; it was for the challenge itself, specifically the awkward stomp/contact on Muharemovic’s leg during a contested play.

TL;DR: Balogun got the red card for stepping on an opponent’s ankle/calf in a challenge, and officials classified it as serious foul play.