​US forward Folarin Balogun will miss the World Cup knockout round clash with Belgium after a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina, a decision Mauricio Pochettino says Balogun “never” should have received. Balogun opened the scoring in a 2-0 victory but was sent off in the 64th minute following a VAR review, with officials deeming that his right foot stamped on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. Though Balogun appeared injured in the collision, slow-motion replays showed his foot landed dangerously as the defender turned, and the on-field referee upheld the red card after the review. Pochettino insisted the red card was not justified, noting it was an unintentional action and that it was a normal moment in the scramble for the ball. Teammate Christian Pulisic joined in, saying Balogun didn’t deserve the punishment and called the decision unfortunate. FIFA regulations automatically suspend Balogun for the next match, and the suspension cannot be appealed, though Pochettino said an appeal would be fair to consider and that he would weigh other options if it does not proceed. In Balogun’s absence, Ricardo Pepi started up front in the final group game against Turkey. Balogun, born in New York, raised in England, and now with Monaco, has three World Cup goals this tournament, narrowing the gap to Landon Donovan’s US record of five. Pochettino acknowledged Balogun’s disappointment but stressed that the team has moved on and that he will be ready to help in the next round if available.