Folarin Balogun’s visit to Orlando during last month’s international break, which was scrutinized feverishly by American soccer fans following the striker’s social media breadcrumbs, ended without any public comment or commitment.
The 21-year-old, Brooklyn-born, England youth international (for now) visited the Orlando Magic and New York Yankees while in Florida. He had some unpublicized interaction with U.S. Soccer personnel, and then returned to France before the American men took the field against El Salvador on March 27.
But there’s reason to believe, despite the ensuing silence, that Balogun’s visit went well. The high-scoring Arsenal/Stade de Reims striker attached a U.S. flag emoji to his farewell instagram post, and USMNT interim manager Anthony Hudson confirmed Tuesday that there’s been some additional, follow-up contact between U.S. Soccer and Balogun’s camp.
