Spirit win, Balogun’s red card ban suspended, and more: Monday Freedom Kicks
Happy Monday, everyone. I hope you all had a happy and safe July 4th weekend. The USMNT are playing tonight and I’m out in Seattle for the match. Before we do that, let’s discuss our home team!
Washington Spirit beat Houston Dash (and the heat) 2-1, on a Rodman brace (DP)
Trinity Rodman was the hero as her brace helped the Spirit outlast the Dash at home. In addition to our report by Annie, check out Jason’s match report as well.
Balogun Available for Belgium Game, says FIFA (SSFC)
In a surprise move, FIFA has suspended the red card ban given to Folarin Balogun, which means he is able to play tonight against Belgium in the Round of 16.
Folarin Balogun’s Red Card Suspension Overturned by FIFA… in the Worst Way (DP)
Talonesque opines on the optics behind Balo’s suspended red card ban and how many are turned off by governmental insertion into the process.
England end Mexico’s World Cup with best win on foreign soil in their history (ESPN)
Mexico is out after losing to England at Azteca. England becomes just the third team ever to defeat Mexico in a competitive match at Azteca.
Henderson injures wrist in England celebrations (BBC)
In the celebrations, Jordan Henderson tripped over the ad boards on the endline and potentially had a very bad injury that could sideline him for weeks.
Canada’s World Cup elimination loss to Morocco, as it happened (CBC)
Canada got eliminated on Independence Day after a 3-0 defeat against Morocco. Jesse Marsch praised his team afterwards, calling them the “better team.” Still, Morocco moves on, while Canada’s tournament is over.
Haaland’s heroic double stuns Brazil and sends Norway into World Cup quarter-finals (The Guardian)
Erling Haaland had a brace against Brazil to lead Norway to the quarterfinals, shocking the 5-time champions. They will now face England.
Enjoy your Monday, everyone.
Trinity’s winner looked liked a magic bullet. It was slow, at a hard angle, and seemed desparate, but found the goal.
As far as Balogun, I think FIFA has done this for multiple players who had red cards in qualifying games allowing them to play. Still, I think this is a very controversial decision.
From an AP News article:
Three players sent off in their teams’ qualifying games last year were surprisingly told by FIFA in May they could serve their bans in a future competition instead of at the World Cup, which was the long-standing norm.
Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo, Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Qatar defender Tarek Salman all had their bans waived for the World Cup.
So did Cristiano Rinaldo who saw a red in the last qualifying match for Portugal.
This is the first time they’ve done it for a card earned during the World Cup. Since red cards have become automatic 1-game suspensions this hasn’t been done because they want to keep fouling down and a get out of jail free card for suspensions undermines that. All those other players had red cards earned before the tournament not during it.
Honestly though there should be an appeal process for red cards. There is only an appeal process for the any additional game suspensions beyond the 1 game auto suspension.
It’s rough precedent, to be sure — but maybe there should be an appeals process for red card suspensions? The Pandora’s box would be reviews of yellow cards, even if it’s just accumulation suspensions.
My first Spirit match in years, 2nd ever. The first goal was magic. Santos led Rodman perfectly. Easy, professional finish by Trinity. The winner came out of nowhere, but I can’t believe it was a shot. Hard to believe Monday saw the possibilities there, letting it go through on goal.
Ungodly hot out there, and I missed seeing the 2nd half and ET for Argentina-Cape Verde live, but a fun ending and glad a friend asked me earlier in the day to take an extra ticket.
Fabrizio Romano has said that DC United is interested in Andres Martin, a soon-to-be 27 year old Spanish right winger who can also play forward. He plays for Racing Santander and just had 23 goals and 9 assists in the current season in La Liga 2, which saw the club earn promotion. He’s under contract until 2028, but apparently can leave this summer.
I think he would be a really strong addition, but it seems like NYCFC and Club America are also in on him, so getting him to DC would probably be a longshot.
Still, a fun rumor!
DCU is looking at international players like they have plans to get some international slots.
Do we have GAM/TAM to burn?…I keep forgetting if GAM and TAM are still separate pools.
It’ll depend some on how much Dozzell is being paid, but MLSRosterView has our projected GAM/TAM just shy of $2.2M. Certainly enough to do something with, even if that something is buying another international spot
From Aguadulce! We need a player with that in him.
Its fun to see a rumor about a player that’s not in Romania for once. Seems like a long shot if America is also pursuing him, but he seems like he would be a good get if we could manage to do it.
But will he be like Cristian Fernández Salas, the left back we signed in Feb 2014, who left in July of that same year to go back to La Liga?
Romano would fill a position of need, too.
Correction, Martin would fill a position of need.
Well, so would Romano. We need more folks giving us DC dirt and rumors!
On July 4th, the US Women and Men Eagle XVs played their first summer matches.
The women are touring in South Africa and lost 34-21 despite an attempted 2nd half rally. The women were down 29-0 at half. The game was supposed to be streamed on Paramount+ but wasn’t. The replay is supposed to be available on RugbyPassTV soon. The Women will again the Springbok Women this coming Saturday. My hope is that the promised stream does happen this time.
The Men played a tight back and forth match against Portugal in the first round of World Rugby’s 2nd tier competition Nations Cup at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO home of the Colorado Rapids. Winning the match 30-29.
Portugal punched the men in the mouth and were up 12-0 after one unconverted try and one converted try. in the first 10 mins of play. The US then reduced to the deficit when OGDC player Cory Daniel dotted down in the 14′ after some great play off a US controlled scrum just outside Portugal’s 5-meter line. Chris Hilsenbeck converted a minute later and it was 12-7. Then the US’s Tavite Lopete was shown a yellow in the 17′ after a Ref initiated TMO review, rugby VAR, for potential head contact in a tackle. It was reviewed in the bunker for potential upgrade to red but was kept at a yellow. The US was down a man for the next 10 mins. Portugal’s Manuel Cardoso Pinto would complete his try hat trick shortly after the first half hydration break to increase the lead to 19-7 on 25′. Then Portugal’s Martim Bello was shown a yellow in 28′. The US put their man advantage to good use as Paddy Ryan, of the Seattle Seawolves, scored a try in the 29′ that Hilsenbeck converted in the 30′. Then in the 32′ on an ugly play, Portugal’s Manuel Vareiro while challenging for a box kick Vareiro kicked out and hit a US player in the head/neck/shoulder region to create space. On field initiated review the ref said yellow as it looked like the kick landed on the upper chest to him. The bunker continued the review and upgraded it to a red after determining that the kick landed on the face/neck of the US player. So the US was up 15 on 13 for a long while as the red upgraded the 5 mins left on the 10 min man advantage to 15 mins by adding the additional 10 mins for the full 20 min red card advantage. Wit h the last play of the first half the Dom Besag dotted down and Hilsenbeck converted to put the US up 21-19 at half.
The ill-discipline by both teams continued in the 2nd half though the US was by far the cleaner team. Os Lobos would reclaim the lead with a penalty kick goal in the 50′ 22-21. Hilsenbeck responded with penalty kick goals in the 55′ and 61′ to retake the lead 27-22. Portugal retook the lead again through the speedy Pinto who dotted down his 4th try of the game in the 63′ that was converted to lead 29-27. Then Portugal’s ill-discipline struck again as substitute hooker Pedro Vicente was shown a straight red after TMO review. OGDC’s Benjamín Bonasso brought to the ref’s attention that he’d been stomped on by Vicente and TMO confirmed the serious foul play in the 65′. So the US had a man advantage for the rest of the game as there were only 15 mins left and a 20-min red card advantage. Portugal’s defense was tight to try and preserve the lead as numerous US attacks were stymied. Then a foul was committed by Portugal late on and the US elected to go for a penalty kick goal from 40 meters out. Hilsenbeck nailed the penalty kick goal winning the game 30-29 for the US.
The US Men’s Eagle XVs return to play on Saturday July 11 as they host Zimbabwe in Nations Cup lay in Charlotte, NC with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.
In the wake of the Balogun decision, it looks like the French are attempting to appeal Olise’s yellow card from the Paraguay game.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7425439/2026/07/06/france-appeal-fifa-michael-olise-yellow-card/
FIFA has rejected Belgium’s appeal of the the suspension of Balogun’s red card 1 game auto suspension. They ruled it “inadmissible”.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49287344/fifa-reject-belgium-request-balogun-clear-play-belgium
According to Tom Bogert, Pirani is on the move. Just to San Diego, though. Hopefully this isn’t a “Klich to Atlanta” situation.
https://x.com/tombogert/status/2074519746582925420