I like that there was an interaction between Balogun and the Belgium coach after the game. I don't think Balogun liked being in the middle of the controversial reversal and it was very classy of their coach to tell him it was not his fault. You know, classy like our president is not.
I was also not very popular in the bar I went to watch the game... apparently the only person not rooting for the US. I'm sorry, I think we've treated people from other countries very poorly and there is no reason for it. We did not deserve to have FOTUS brag about us winning as if he were personally responsible for it
The USA losing last night's game was what guaranteed that Orange Foolius would not be able to make it all about himself, and how due to his intervening, Balogun (the *Naturalized US CITIZEN* whose mother was deemed too pregnant to fly home to England to give birth to him, therefore making him THE ONE TYPE OF PERSON that tRump is trying to keep/get out of this country by trying to overturn the 14th Amendment) was able to play, allowing the USA to win, blah, blah, blah... but the USA lost. He involves himself, and the team he's advocating for/cheering for/etc, LOSES. This has happened in at least 3 or 4 other instances. Everything he touches.... well.... you know the rest. (Excuse my long, rambling, run-on sentence!)
Actually, two types of person Trump is trying to expel from the US.
I believe Trump's interference was solely to demonstrate his power over the World Cup, the greatest game on Earth. I'm sure it will be a long, long time before the US gets to host it again.
I'm an American---I hoped that Belgium would win after the president got involved. Trump is stupid, a narcissist---and doesn't know soccer (football). He's a terrible example for America, the world, and a horrible human being. That's as nice as I can be about it.
US national team's record since 2021 v Euro sides: 1-14-0, with the win over Bosnia the lone exception. Can't compete at the Europeans' level, especially when setting CONCACAF quality vs European sides. US remains second- or third-tier in WC competition, and that's not about to change.
P.S. Belgium thrashed the Yanks, 5-2, in a pre-Cup friendly, so no surprise another 3-goal win here.
"And suddenly, everyone wanted the U.S. to lose. Badly."
Including me.
I love my homeland, but at the moment, my homeland doesn't love me. So pardon me if I'm not a fan of any U.S. team competing with any other team. But that's not the point.
The U.S. is going to have to keep losing and losing and losing and losing ... and maybe losing some more, until finally, 37% of the U.S. population realizes that loving Donald and his cabal of incompetent villains is a losing proposition and a really terrible, no-good, bad idea.
I am so happy for the Belgian football team's 4 - 1 victory! This proves the Trump sports curse is alive and well, spreading disaster for some unfortunate team wherever it goes!
As always, well written. I wish you had left this bit out, though: "it was fitting that Balogun wound up scoring exactly zero goals"
Neither Balogun nor any of the other players should be wished ill because of Trump's transgressions. They did not pour shit all over the field; they had to play in the shit that Trump poured on the field. Balogun going goalless is not justice. The US players are probably the most aggrieved victims in this whole situation.
I get that the rest of the world rooted against the US in that game, and why Belgium trolled us a little after such a resounding victory (with their biggest stars starting on the bench).
I do not understand why any American would root for the US to lose that game, though. The team did not cheat. It's like hoping the Amazon guy bringing you your package gets in a wreck because you don't like Jeff Bezos.
I could be misreading the whole thing, but I think the rooting was for the poetic justice of the loss kicking trump in the ass. Sadly, for that to happen means that the players take the hit and I don't believe THAT was what people wanted but it was just an unavoidable necessity for the ass kicking.
💯%. None of the ugly shit is on any of the players at all. Balogun didn't score because Belgium was by far the better team all afternoon and allowed the US only scant and fleeting opportunities to build any sort of offense.
We'll never know the intangible effect -- did the disgraceful interference, the enshittification of a beautiful event, somehow weigh on the US team and contribute to its error-filled, inefficient performance? Did it inspire the Belgians to play over their heads, so to speak? Or would the outcome have been the same regardless?
On the positive side, we still got to see a top-level, highly competitive game played by world-class athletes, and while the USA lost, the city remained festive. The corrupt actions of two despicable men could not take that away from us.
I saw Egypt vs Belgium in Seattle in the first round. Beautiful stadium and city, and the vibe of "we are all here together no matter where we came from" was palpable.
I see your point. But if we had won, the win would have always been tainted. And all following wins even more so. The players were, unfortunately, going to get punished either way. As an American, with the loss, they retain their integrity.
Not any more tainted than Belgium winning because Balogun was suspended for what should never have been a red card.
Getting into "now the game is tainted" is a losing argument every time. Injuries, suspensions, illnesses, revoked suspensions... If you're the team, you go in with what you have and do your best. To suggest the players had to lose to "retain their integrity" makes literally no sense.
Balogun is good, but he's not so much better than our backups that he could have created a win all by himself. (As evidenced by the actual outcome.)
Per my above comment, Balogun and the team would have showed their class and sportsmanship by accepting the suspension. That would have been the honorable thing to do.
What is truly sad is that immediately after I read about the red card being awarded, I thought, "I bet Trump calls in a favor, gets it dropped, and it's a huge mess for the US." How tragic that that was my first thought.
Hey there, Jay! If you're interested: As an amateur songwriter, I've been trying to capture this political moment in a series of songs, which I have pretentiously called "the Zeitgeist Triptych." You might enjoy them. The most recent is about the authoritarian playbook, and is dedicated to historians like HCR who help us stay sane. While not specifically a historian, you're among those, and I thank you! If you want to hear the songs, you can start on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpw6Yzgz1Sg or on the home page of the latest song, www.lyricist.net/trains-will-run. Enjoy!
"Over the past few days, the world finally got a sample of what it’s felt like for us under Trump."
Ummm...
Plenty of people and entire nations have been more impacted than US citizens by the dangerous and often violent actions of this administration. I think your statement that the rest of the world has "finally" gotten to experience the tyranny is naive at best.
I get your quibble, but my point is that while they are impacted by Trump’s actions it is not the same as living under him while being gaslit and having your own system of rules dismantled daily by him. It may be even worse for them, true, but it is a different experience.
Until in formed by aids, Dear Leader was unaware of the meaning of the red card. He was clueless and would not have know the difference between a corner kick and a corner bodega.
Given this result, I’m glad that the American player was on the pitch. Had he not been, the score could have been 15 – 0, and Trump would’ve howled that it was because he wasn’t there. Now there’s no excuse – – the US team simply got outplayed with their best striker on the pitch.
Trump claims that the U.S. won the soccer match against Belgium and demands a recount of the goals scored. Check Trump's Sore Loser playbook for 12 other dirty tricks. (Satire)
I like that there was an interaction between Balogun and the Belgium coach after the game. I don't think Balogun liked being in the middle of the controversial reversal and it was very classy of their coach to tell him it was not his fault. You know, classy like our president is not.
I was also not very popular in the bar I went to watch the game... apparently the only person not rooting for the US. I'm sorry, I think we've treated people from other countries very poorly and there is no reason for it. We did not deserve to have FOTUS brag about us winning as if he were personally responsible for it
Yep I’m with you. This was the only outcome that guaranteed he would STFU on the topic.
The USA losing last night's game was what guaranteed that Orange Foolius would not be able to make it all about himself, and how due to his intervening, Balogun (the *Naturalized US CITIZEN* whose mother was deemed too pregnant to fly home to England to give birth to him, therefore making him THE ONE TYPE OF PERSON that tRump is trying to keep/get out of this country by trying to overturn the 14th Amendment) was able to play, allowing the USA to win, blah, blah, blah... but the USA lost. He involves himself, and the team he's advocating for/cheering for/etc, LOSES. This has happened in at least 3 or 4 other instances. Everything he touches.... well.... you know the rest. (Excuse my long, rambling, run-on sentence!)
Actually, two types of person Trump is trying to expel from the US.
I believe Trump's interference was solely to demonstrate his power over the World Cup, the greatest game on Earth. I'm sure it will be a long, long time before the US gets to host it again.
https://media.mathstodon.xyz/media_attachments/files/116/879/816/730/431/765/original/bb09d3266b8197a5.png
I think the classy thing for Balogun to have done would have been to sit out the game, with a statement that he was letting the original call stand.
The US can still win if Mike Pence has the courage.
Ha!
You win the internet.
HAHAHAHA
FTW!
I'm an American---I hoped that Belgium would win after the president got involved. Trump is stupid, a narcissist---and doesn't know soccer (football). He's a terrible example for America, the world, and a horrible human being. That's as nice as I can be about it.
US national team's record since 2021 v Euro sides: 1-14-0, with the win over Bosnia the lone exception. Can't compete at the Europeans' level, especially when setting CONCACAF quality vs European sides. US remains second- or third-tier in WC competition, and that's not about to change.
P.S. Belgium thrashed the Yanks, 5-2, in a pre-Cup friendly, so no surprise another 3-goal win here.
That's the men's team. The women's team, overall, has done a lot better. Interesting info about the pre-Cup friendly game.
I had to laugh when you wrote that Balogun was a “birthright US citizen!” The irony is excellent.
"Belgium’s huge victory margin on Monday night mattered. After all, it made it hard for Trump to lie and say the game was rigged."
Just like the upcoming Midterms need to be for Democrats.
That’s the unspoken but clearly implied part yes
"And suddenly, everyone wanted the U.S. to lose. Badly."
Including me.
I love my homeland, but at the moment, my homeland doesn't love me. So pardon me if I'm not a fan of any U.S. team competing with any other team. But that's not the point.
The U.S. is going to have to keep losing and losing and losing and losing ... and maybe losing some more, until finally, 37% of the U.S. population realizes that loving Donald and his cabal of incompetent villains is a losing proposition and a really terrible, no-good, bad idea.
🩵🙃
Personally, I think the head of Belgium should thank the 🍊💩🤡 for motivating his football team.😁
I am so happy for the Belgian football team's 4 - 1 victory! This proves the Trump sports curse is alive and well, spreading disaster for some unfortunate team wherever it goes!
I love “Trump’s sports curse.
ETTD
TSC for short
As always, well written. I wish you had left this bit out, though: "it was fitting that Balogun wound up scoring exactly zero goals"
Neither Balogun nor any of the other players should be wished ill because of Trump's transgressions. They did not pour shit all over the field; they had to play in the shit that Trump poured on the field. Balogun going goalless is not justice. The US players are probably the most aggrieved victims in this whole situation.
I get that the rest of the world rooted against the US in that game, and why Belgium trolled us a little after such a resounding victory (with their biggest stars starting on the bench).
I do not understand why any American would root for the US to lose that game, though. The team did not cheat. It's like hoping the Amazon guy bringing you your package gets in a wreck because you don't like Jeff Bezos.
I could be misreading the whole thing, but I think the rooting was for the poetic justice of the loss kicking trump in the ass. Sadly, for that to happen means that the players take the hit and I don't believe THAT was what people wanted but it was just an unavoidable necessity for the ass kicking.
ah, so like voting to defund social services to "own the libs" got it
Possibly, though of course, less damaging. But I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time ;) )
💯%. None of the ugly shit is on any of the players at all. Balogun didn't score because Belgium was by far the better team all afternoon and allowed the US only scant and fleeting opportunities to build any sort of offense.
We'll never know the intangible effect -- did the disgraceful interference, the enshittification of a beautiful event, somehow weigh on the US team and contribute to its error-filled, inefficient performance? Did it inspire the Belgians to play over their heads, so to speak? Or would the outcome have been the same regardless?
On the positive side, we still got to see a top-level, highly competitive game played by world-class athletes, and while the USA lost, the city remained festive. The corrupt actions of two despicable men could not take that away from us.
I saw Egypt vs Belgium in Seattle in the first round. Beautiful stadium and city, and the vibe of "we are all here together no matter where we came from" was palpable.
I see your point. But if we had won, the win would have always been tainted. And all following wins even more so. The players were, unfortunately, going to get punished either way. As an American, with the loss, they retain their integrity.
Not any more tainted than Belgium winning because Balogun was suspended for what should never have been a red card.
Getting into "now the game is tainted" is a losing argument every time. Injuries, suspensions, illnesses, revoked suspensions... If you're the team, you go in with what you have and do your best. To suggest the players had to lose to "retain their integrity" makes literally no sense.
Balogun is good, but he's not so much better than our backups that he could have created a win all by himself. (As evidenced by the actual outcome.)
Well said.
Per my above comment, Balogun and the team would have showed their class and sportsmanship by accepting the suspension. That would have been the honorable thing to do.
What is truly sad is that immediately after I read about the red card being awarded, I thought, "I bet Trump calls in a favor, gets it dropped, and it's a huge mess for the US." How tragic that that was my first thought.
Hey there, Jay! If you're interested: As an amateur songwriter, I've been trying to capture this political moment in a series of songs, which I have pretentiously called "the Zeitgeist Triptych." You might enjoy them. The most recent is about the authoritarian playbook, and is dedicated to historians like HCR who help us stay sane. While not specifically a historian, you're among those, and I thank you! If you want to hear the songs, you can start on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpw6Yzgz1Sg or on the home page of the latest song, www.lyricist.net/trains-will-run. Enjoy!
"Over the past few days, the world finally got a sample of what it’s felt like for us under Trump."
Ummm...
Plenty of people and entire nations have been more impacted than US citizens by the dangerous and often violent actions of this administration. I think your statement that the rest of the world has "finally" gotten to experience the tyranny is naive at best.
I get your quibble, but my point is that while they are impacted by Trump’s actions it is not the same as living under him while being gaslit and having your own system of rules dismantled daily by him. It may be even worse for them, true, but it is a different experience.
Until in formed by aids, Dear Leader was unaware of the meaning of the red card. He was clueless and would not have know the difference between a corner kick and a corner bodega.
Given this result, I’m glad that the American player was on the pitch. Had he not been, the score could have been 15 – 0, and Trump would’ve howled that it was because he wasn’t there. Now there’s no excuse – – the US team simply got outplayed with their best striker on the pitch.
On the other hand: Trump said before the game that Belgians would not be happy beating a US team without its best player. So be it.
Trump claims that the U.S. won the soccer match against Belgium and demands a recount of the goals scored. Check Trump's Sore Loser playbook for 12 other dirty tricks. (Satire)
https://thedemlabs.org/2026/07/06/trump-folarin-balogun-world-cup-intervention/
This is a mighty test of our tolerance, daily. IT can't happen soon enough.