Talk of the Town
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Blue Jays 10, Giants 0
Cubs 9, Orioles 7
Athletics 1, Tigers 6
Braves 3, Pirates 0
Yankees 0 Rays 3
Mariners 0, Marlins 2
Astros 2, Nationals 8
Phillies 5, Reds 11
Royals 2, Mets 6
Red Sox 5, White Sox 0
Guardians 5, Twins 6
Brewers 1, Cardinals 5
Angels 13, Rangers 1
Diamondbacks 4, Padres 10
Rockies 3, Dodgers 4
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The Mustangs resume action tonight after the All-Star break. They will play at home at Hooker Field this evening against…
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Brewers 4, Cardinals 3 (Doubleheader, game 1)
Cubs 5, Orioles 2
Athletics 2, Tigers 6
Braves 4, Pirates 12
Yankees 4, Rays 6
Mariners 5, Marlins 6
Astros 6, Nationals 3
Royals 16, Mets 12
Phillies 4, Reds 1
Red Sox 8, White Sox 1
Guardians 1, Twins 3
Brewers 10, Cardinals 2 (Doubleheader, game 2)
Angels 3, Rangers 8
Diamondbacks 1, Padres 4
Blue Jays 9, Giants 3
Rockies 4, Dodgers 3
FIFA World Cup
Argentina 3, Egypt 2
Switzerland 0, Colombia 0
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(NEW YORK) — The United States’ run in the 2026 World Cup has come to a close after a 4-1 loss to Belgium on Monday.
The loss comes after the U.S. men’s national team’s star striker, Folarin Balogun, was deemed eligible to play in the match after his one-game suspension from a red card was put on hold by FIFA.
While the U.S. team expected a boost from Balogun’s presence on the pitch, it could not recover from a pair of goals in the first half from Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere, despite a free kick goal from U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman that very briefly tied the game. Two more Belgian goals in the second half put victory out of reach for the Americans.
Belgium will go on to face Spain in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles on Friday.
Balogun was given a red card during the July 1 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina after the U.S. player clashed with an opposing player’s foot in the second half. The penalty automatically landed Balogun a one-game suspension. FIFA told ABC News at the time that the call was final and not able to be overturned or appealed.
FIFA said on Sunday that “the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
The football governing body added that if Balogun “commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
Ahead of Monday night’s game, the U.S. men’s national team confirmed that Balogun will be in the starting lineup.
The Royal Belgium Football Association (RBFA) released a statement Sunday that said in part that it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to allow Balogun to play in Monday’s match against them.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the RBFA statement further said.
European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, said in a statement on Monday that a red card suspension is “a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.”
“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision,” UEFA said.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters after last week’s match, which the U.S. won 2-0, that Balogun was “sad” and “disappointed” about the call and that the clash was not intentional, according to ESPN.
The USMNT’s victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina was their first in the World Cup round of 32 since 2002 and only their second knockout round victory in program history.
The American men’s best result at the World Cup was a third-place finish at the inaugural tournament all the way in 1930.
The U.S. team had been impressive in the 2026 tournament, finishing the group stage with a 2-1 record, with wins over Paraguay and Australia before a loss to Turkey, which occurred once the team had already secured a spot in the next round.
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Phillies 1, Royals 15
Yankees 5, Rays 1
Astros 11, Nationals 12
Mets 7, Braves 6
Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
Diamondbacks 8, Padres 0
Blue Jays 1, Giants 10
Rockies 7, Dodgers 8
FIFA World Cup
Portugal 0, Spain 1
United States 1, Belgium 4
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(NEW YORK) — U.S. Men’s National Team captain Tim Ream says the reversal of forward Folarin Balogun’s red card ban is a “boost of positivity” for the team ahead of their World Cup showdown on Monday against Belgium in the Round of 16.
“I think he’s excited that he can actually contribute on the field and not just be a cheerleader, but Balo, he’s got a big smile, and he’s been beaming ear to ear since we all found out the news,” Ream told “Good Morning America,” in an interview that aired Monday.
Balogun is now eligible to play in Monday’s game following a red card he received during the team’s July 1 match with Bosnia-Herzegovina for landing on an opposing player’s ankle.
Balogun was ejected mid-match and subsequently received a one-game ban. FIFA told ABC News at the time that the referee’s call was final and not able to be overturned or appealed.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters after the match, which the U.S. won 2-0, that Balogun was “disappointed” by the call, claiming the clash was not intentional, according to ESPN.
Following the July 1 game, President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and discussed the red card suspension, which would have forced Balogun to miss Monday’s game, a U.S. official told ABC News on Monday.
The official said Trump wanted to better understand the reason the red card was given and why there was a suspension.
On Sunday, FIFA reversed course, announcing that “the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year” and adding that if Balogun “commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
FIFA’s about-face has sparked outcry from other groups, including the European and Belgian soccer associations.
“The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play” in Monday’s match, the RBFA said in part in a statement Sunday.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the group added.
In a follow-up statement on Monday, the RBFA said it was challenging FIFA’s decision to dismiss its earlier red card ban and reinstate Balogun ahead of Monday’s match.
The organization said it was “deeply concerned by the course of events” and pledged to fight the decision.
But FIFA said Monday afternoon it was rejecting the RBFA’s appeal.
“The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,” FIFA said in part.
The Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, also expressed “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” in a statement Monday.
“A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension,” it said in part.
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.”
U.S. Soccer, meanwhile, welcomed FIFA’s decision in a statement on Sunday.
“We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans,” the group said.
The U.S. official who spoke to ABC News on Monday said the process for appealing a red card ban is run by an independent board, adding that the U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process and saying the “correct and proper outcome was achieved.”
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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Mets 10, Braves 9
Pirates 11, Nationals 5
Orioles 2, Reds 3
Twins 6, Yankees 1
White Sox 7, Guardians 6
Cardinals 4, Cubs 6
Phillies 2, Royals 5
Tigers 6, Rangers 3
Rays 0, Astros 2
Giants 6, Rockies 7
Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 2
Marlins 9, Athletics 8
Blue Jays 0, Mariners 4
Padres 5, Dodgers 2
Red Sox 7, Angels 5
FIFA World Cup
Brazil 1, Norway 2
Mexico 2, England 3
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
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