Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right…
I’m with the crowd that thinks there was no cause for the red card against Folarin Balogun in the last USMNT game. At best, it should have been a yellow. There was no intent or malice and, as many people have pointed out, Lionel Messi didn’t receive a red card for a more egregious incident.
So yes, I’m happy Balogun will play tonight because the suspension was lifted.
But I don’t think it was the right call.
The United States didn’t have the right to appeal the suspension. By FIFA’s rules, Balogun should have been out. Instead, calls from President Trump—or at least from people in his administration – to the head of FIFA apparently persuaded the organization to invoke some rule and lift the suspension.
Great. I understand that there is technically a mechanism that allowed FIFA to do it. But it feels unseemly.
The original decision was wrong, but using political pressure to overturn it doesn’t suddenly make it right. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
And now we’ve created a precedent. Last night England received a red card. What happens if Prime Minister Keir Starmer picks up the phone? Does England get the same treatment? If Argentina calls on Messi’s behalf? If Brazil calls for one of its stars?
Rules lose their meaning when they only apply until someone influential enough complains.
And yes, I know FIFA lifted a suspension against Cristiano Ronaldo back in November so he could play. If that’s true, I think that was wrong too.
What I’d rather see is FIFA amend its rules and allow appeals of red cards in cases of obvious error. Other sports have recognized that officials can make mistakes and have created procedures to correct them. That seems like a fair and transparent solution. Better (in my humble opinion) is to make red cards more like hockey penalties. The player leaves the pitch for 10 minutes, and the team plays a man down. I don’t really get the “and miss the next game.” Seems pretty harsh.
Nevertheless, as long as there is no right to appeal, the call should stand unless FIFA decides entirely on its own to review the situation – not because a president or prime minister makes a phone call.
Bad calls happen in sports. So does injustice.
The answer can’t be, “Well, our side benefited this time.”