Rubio says USMNT ‘got screwed’ by red card

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) “got screwed” at the FIFA World Cup when a red card was given to striker Folarin Balogun.

“It was great,” Rubio said when asked about the U.S. soccer team’s win the night before. “They got screwed with that red card. There needs to be an appeal process for that.”

The secretary was referring to a controversial call made during a U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina match in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday. Balogun, a striker, received a red card for foul play after stepping on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović.

Balogun was sent off the field shortly after the hour mark.

Nonetheless, the U.S. came out victorious without its top goal scorer, winning 2-0 in a round-of-32 match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium — its first World Cup knockout win since 2002.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that after reviewing the play, it was “never” a red card. He said the incident was not intentional, and that accidentally stepping on players is a “normal action” in soccer.

The red card carries an automatic one-match suspension under FIFA rules, meaning Balogun will miss the round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday. According to The Athletic citing a FIFA official, the suspension cannot be appealed.

The call sparked outrage among U.S. soccer fans and players, including from other U.S. officials.

“Red card there is a total bunk,” wrote Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) also weighed in, joking on social media: “BTW, if we want that red card reversed, Texas Tech has offered up a judge in the Lubbock that can take the case.”

Miyares appeared to be referencing a recent legal case involving Brendan Sorsby, a quarterback for Texas Tech University who successfully obtained a temporary injunction from a judge in Lubbock County, Texas, after the NCAA declared him ineligible to play due to sports betting violations.