After the Red Card
The White House World Cup representative has criticized a referee. (Archive photo) © Mary Altaffer/AP/dpa
All the host teams are out, and the World Cup is heading into the hot phase after the first day off. The White House is making allegations as a Bayern newcomer misses the quarterfinals.
Following the scandal involving a red card for a US national player in the World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, the White House FIFA representative, expressed doubts about the referee’s integrity.
He finds it “highly suspicious” that Brazilian referee Raphael Claus has previously been investigated in 2024 for issuing incorrect red cards and game manipulation, according to the “Guardian”.
Claus had sent off US striker Folarin Balogun in the 2-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would have sidelined him for the round of 16 match against Belgium.
However, FIFA surprisingly suspended the ban after US President
In response to a reporter’s comment that Claus had only been called as a witness in previous investigations in Brazil and not accused, Giuliani stated: “No misconduct was alleged against him – that is clear to us.” Nevertheless, he claimed that the situation is comparable to those earlier investigations.
Here are some additional topics from the World Cup night:
Bayern Newcomer Saibari Misses World Cup Quarterfinal
Morocco will have to face the World Cup quarterfinal without future Bayern player Ismael Saibari. “Except for Saibari, everyone is available,” coach Mohamed Ouahbi said before the match against France (10:00 PM/MagentaTV) in Foxborough. For the injured forward, the match comes too soon. However, he hopes that Saibari will not be out for the rest of the tournament, Ouahbi stated.
Saibari was substituted early in Morocco’s 3-0 victory over co-host Canada due to injury. Reports suggest that the 25-year-old suffered only a minor muscle strain and is hopeful for a quick comeback. He has already scored three goals in this World Cup and will be transferring from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich for the new season.
Mexican World Cup Young Star Receives School Diploma
From the pitch of the Azteca Stadium to a graduation ceremony: Just days after Mexico’s World Cup exit in the round of 16, 17-year-old national player Gilberto Mora received his diploma from a German-Mexican school, according to Mexican media.
The youngest player in the World Cup was celebrated by his classmates at the Deutsche Schule Cuauhtémoc Hank in northwest Tijuana at the border with the US, as a video shows.
Belgian Goalkeeper Reflects Before Spain Duel
Belgium’s national team heads confidently into the World Cup quarterfinal against the major favorite Spain. Two days before the clash in Los Angeles, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reminded everyone of the unexpected victory against Brazil eight years ago, when a 2-1 win in the quarterfinals led to Belgium’s first semifinal appearance in 32 years.
“They were favorites, and they might have had individually more quality,” said the Real Madrid keeper regarding parallels to the upcoming match. “But I feel we are a great team now, and we will fight.”
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Courtois also recalled the narrow progression against Senegal in the round of 16 last week, where Belgium turned around a 0-2 deficit. “That showcased our ability to believe in ourselves until the end; that is a strength in a World Cup. Winning games is the most important thing. It’s nice to play well, but the main thing is to win, and that’s what we did,” he stated. Spain remains the only team in the World Cup yet to concede a goal. (dpa/edited by mbo)
