The red card issued to U.S. men's national soccer team star forward Folarin Balogun sparked debate over officiating consistency and the use of video review, with Panama City-area high school coaches weighing in on whether the call matched the level of contact shown in real time.
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The incident, which involved a challenge reviewed by VAR and ultimately punished Balogun with a red card, drew immediate criticism from some observers who said the foul appeared accidental rather than intentional.
“I mean, I’m a USA fan, of course, from the angle that he was coming in to step into the ball, it was just an accident," North Bay Haven boys soccer coach Michael McCumbers said. "It wasn’t like a deliberate face-to-face going towards the guy, stepping on him type deal.”