Folarin Balogun made his debut for the USMNT in an eventful 3-0 victory over Mexico which featured four red cards and was ended early by the referee.
The young Arsenal forward pledged his allegiance to the country of his birth earlier in the year, ending speculation over his international future. There was significant clamour for his services, especially after he experienced a breakout season while on loan at Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims, where he scored 22 times in 39 appearances.
Amid interest from England, the country where he grew up and Nigeria, who he qualifies for on parentage grounds, he ultimately picked the USMNT and received his first senior call up for the CONCACAF Nations League games this summer. Handed a debut by interim coach B.J. Callaghan, the 21-year-old hotshot started the semi final against Mexico in what turned out to be a chaotic encounter.
In truth, the Gunners academy graduate had a quiet game in the 3-0 victory, as the Stars and Stripes advanced to the final where they will play Canada on June 19. His most significant involvement probably came 20 minutes from time after he was cynically fouled by Cesar Montes, with the tackle sparking a brawl which resulted in USMNT star Weston McKennie being dismissed.
The former Leeds United loannee was incensed by the challenge on the debutant and an intense fracas ensued involving multiple players from both sides. Emerging with his shirt ripped, referee Ivan Barton decided he had seen enough to send the Juventus midfielder off.
Already 2-0 up by this point, the US responded best to going a man down as Balogun's fellow forward Ricardo Pepi rounded off the scoring with a strike of his own. Although the Arsenal prodigy was unable to get on the scoresheet himself, his ability to act as a focal point and draw out opposition defenders did make a difference.
US full-back Sergino Dest would later be given his own marching orders by the official after a scuffle with Gerardo Arteaga, with the pair having engaged in some pushing and shoving before raising their hands before being dismissed. Following on from this, the referee stopped the game temporarily in the 89th minute after discriminatory chants were heard from the crowd in Las Vegas, before the match was brought to a close prematurely when the slurs were heard again following a restart.
The youngster's maiden performance for the USMNT was probably more muted than he would have hoped for but he did not let himself down in a game that was mired by controversy. His performance in the States generally went down as solid albeit unspectacular with big things expected of Balogun moving forwards.
In the most-anticipated USMNT debut in quite some time, Balogun did show his influence in dragging away opposition defences and playing a good tactical role as he was on the pitch for all three USA goals.
It is a big summer for Balogun. The emerging starlet has been the subject of interest in recent months, with Serie A giants Napoli, AC Milan and Juventus emerging as potential suitors if Mikel Arteta decides to cash in. Balogun is under contract at the Emirates until 2025 but it remains to be seen whether he will be given the chance to impress in pre-season.
The new USMNT star could be available for as little as £30 million ($38 million) this summer, with Arsenal open to selling the player if a sufficient bid does arrive. In the case of Serie A champions Napoli, they could well turn to Balogun if talisman Victor Omishen is to depart this summer.
Milan could also be weighing up a move for the former England U-21s star, with his age and style very much fitting the kind of profile that they normally would look for. On top of this, Juventus could turn to Balogun as a potential replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, if the marksman leaves Turin in the coming months, according to Rudy Galetti.
Currently, the youngster has Gabriel Jesus and back-up Eddie Nketiah ahead of him in the center forward pecking order in North London, while Gabriel Martinelli is also handy through the middle. Furthermore, Arteta has been linked with a move for Declan Rice of late and he may look to balance the books in order to fund that transfer potentially.
