It would have been amazing to see Americans take home our first World Cup on our country's 250th birthday—and during a year that we're hosting. Sadly, that dream was dashed on Monday night, when Belgium beat the U.S. in Seattle 4–1. What made the loss especially embarrassing was that President Donald Trump had tried to tilt the scales in America's favor.
FIFA, the international soccer federation, agreed on Sunday to overturn its suspension of star American striker Folarin Balogun, under pressure from Trump. Balogun had gotten the red card for stepping on the ankle of Bosnian player Tarik Muharemović during his last game. Some observers, such as former elite referee Andy Davies, argued that the incident was a normal accident and Balogun should never have gotten suspended.
