Fifa suspended two US Soccer staff members for the team's World Cup defeat to Belgium on Monday, with the incident possibly linked to a controversy involving striker Folarin Balogun.
Staff Barred from Match
Team manager Sam Zapatka and US Soccer vice-president of security Frank Pannell were not allowed at the match, which Belgium won 4-1 to progress to the quarter-finals. Fifa has not provided a specific reason for the suspensions.
Possible Link to Balogun Incident
US Soccer stated the punishment was unrelated to the federation's work in getting Balogun's red card suspended. However, according to Front Office Sports, the suspensions may have been caused by Balogun returning to the field to celebrate the United States' 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32. Balogun was sent off in the second half of that game, and players who receive a red card are not allowed to return to the pitch after dismissal.
Violation of Match Protocols
ESPN reported that the pair were sanctioned for violating Fifa match protocols and allowing people access to areas where they should not have been. The suspensions were not due to any physical disputes or confrontations.
Staff Backgrounds
Zapatka joined US Soccer in 2015 and has been in his current role since 2020. Pannell previously worked for the Secret Service, the CIA, and in the private sector, according to an April article in Seton Hall University's newspaper The Setonian.
