Balogun consoles himself with Garcia after US loss and suspension row

Folarin Balogun received consolation from Belgian head coach Rudi Garcia after the United States forward’s early exit at the World Cup. Balogun played no part as Belgium defeated the USA 4-1 in the last 16, being substituted in the 89th minute. The American, whose suspension was controversially lifted just hours before kick-off, was consoled by Garcia, who had previously dismissed the saga as an “April Fool’s joke in July.” “He came to talk to me,” Garcia said after the match. “I really appreciated that. It’s not his fault. There’s nothing to blame him for — I told him that too. I really value that he came to me. I have respect for this player.” Balogun acknowledged the controversy surrounding the overturned suspension. “Of course it’s controversial when a decision like that is reversed,” the AS Monaco striker said. “We accepted the decision when I was sent off, and we accepted it when we were told I could play.”

Belgium crush USA 4-1: Red Devils march on to quarter-final clash with Spain

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans praised his team’s performance after the 4-1 win. “I’m proud of the team. Everyone gave everything,” the 29-year-old midfielder said. “I’m very happy with the qualification for the quarter-finals. And I’m very happy with the way we played.” Tielemans avoided commenting on the Balogun issue. “Our coach and goalkeeper made their views clear. It was up to us to show it on the pitch. To let our feet do the talking. And that’s what we did.” “It didn’t matter much to us who was playing up front for the USA,” Tielemans added. “Our tactics stayed the same. We’ve shown we’re ready for the big stage. Now we’ll analyse Spain. We’ll need another strong tactical plan to go further. We’ll give everything again to deliver the best for Belgium.” Belgium face Spain in the quarter-finals in Inglewood on Friday at 21:00 CET.