Re “Folarin Balogun’s red card may be unfair, but FIFA’s decision to lift his suspension might be worse” (July 5): The U.S. soccer team not only missed a winning goal. It also failed to score a political goal. Why did the team not honor the referee’s red card decision? A loss in their next game could be readily explained by their star player sitting it out. A win in their next game would not be registered with an asterisk.
The FIFA president’s decision, to overturn the red card call, forever tarnishes the World Cup’s marquee. The U.S. team could have effectively overturned that startling decision, by benching the offending player. Doing so would have blocked the global disdain for the president’s interference. The result? Sports fans are now feeling trumped by U.S. politics.
— Bill Slomanson, Hillcrest