Folarin Balogun looks to be picking up steam at an important time for the U.S. men’s national team.
Balogun scored in his second-straight start for the USMNT in Friday’s 1-1 home draw vs. CONMEBOL opponents Ecuador. The USMNT forward played 81 minutes atop Mauricio Pochettino’s formation, netting his seventh international goal in the process.
Balogun was denied the opening goal in the eighth minutes thanks to Hernan Galindez’s save, but the Monaco forward kept working. He was later rewarded in the second half when Balogun got on the end of Malik Tillman’s pass and redirected it into the back of the net.
With two goals in his last two appearances, Balogun is starting to move himself ahead of the pack in the USMNT’s No. 9 race.
“He is so hard to track when he uses his speed to get behind,” USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie told TNT about Balogun during a postmatch interview. “He was holding possession very well. It gives a lot of relief for us. He did a really good job tonight.”
Balogun not only delivered the USMNT’s equalizer, but he provided a lot of hard work without the ball too. His relentless running and abilities to hold up possession helped ease pressure off of the USMNT backline, who at times were under continuous pressure by the Ecuadoran attack.
One thing’s for sure, the 24-year-old’s USMNT teammates are noticing the amount of work he puts in for the team, which will only boost his chances of remaining a consistent starter in Pochettino’s squad.
“He was all over the place tonight,” Ream said in an interview with U.S. Soccer. “Ball into feet, balls in behind, his darting runs that he can make, battling with a center back who’s bigger than him, which he’s added to his game. He was full of running all night long and gave everyone an option whenever they had the ball.
“That’s what we need from our striker,” Ream added. “And he gets his reward with a goal. A really good performance from him. Full of energy, full of running and smart, very, very smart with and without the ball. That’s two goals in two games for him. Long may that continue.”
Ub20’s failed. I put it on Mitrovic. His lineup for this game was not good.
I put it on the players.
Sure. But whybare you starting your best midfielder at the false 9. Whybare continuing to start Cole Campbell when he hasn’t shown competent enough to actually attack well. Why not put Habroune at the false 9 who had already played two games that way? You could have put Gozo at striker. And quite frankly not making the necessary changes at halftime is inexcusable in a QF. But hey we are a perennial QF team at the U20 level. If one to three of these players go on to be really good players and contributes at the USMNT level I’ll be more than happy.
Really hope he starts banging on goals for Monaco
It’s a wonder to me he isn’t. Those guys he was tormenting from Ecuador were from Milan, PSG, Brugge, and some squad in Brazil I’ll admit I’ve never heard of…the first three are Champions League squads and Brazil is no Sunday League either. So what’s holding him back at Monaco? The guy has been a live wire for the USMNT, the vast majority of the times he’s been out there for us, the problem emphatically ain’t talent, for sure.
quozzel,
“he was tormenting from Ecuador were from Milan, PSG, Brugge, and some squad in Brazil I’ll admit I’ve never heard of”
Pulisic being hot shit for the USMNT hasn’t impressed anyone in Europe. Him being hot shit at Milan, now that impresses people.
You should look at the guys Flo is competing for striker time with at Monaco. They are not bad.
And then compare those guys to his USMNT competition.
Vacq-
He’s getting minutes at Monaco, though he’s not scoring consistently in the minutes he gets. He’s gotten 478 minutes this year with Monaco in 7 appearances (5 in Ligue 1, 2 in the Champions League) and he has 1 goal and 2 assists. A goal every 478′ seems…odd, given his obvious talent. He had some long spells last year where he went dry too.
I haven’t watched enough Monaco games to know what’s up there – system, confidence, or whatnot. And watching him rampage around against a REAL good backline for Ecuador that shut down most of CONMEBOL, the problem obviously isn’t talent. That’s there.
I’ve watched every Balo game. Dude is pretty unlucky right now BUT he is contributing in tons of other ways. Every time I watch, he’s getting 2 to 3 shots a game… One just over or outside of the goal… A second right at the goalkeeper and maybe a third gets deflected by a defender at the last minute. Other opportunities his wingers take STOOOOPID shots killing the chance creation! :-[
He’s putting in work. Seems to really fit in with his teammates. He’ll get huis goals.
quozzel,
“I haven’t watched enough Monaco games to know what’s up there – system, confidence, or whatnot. ”
Ansu Fatti, Mika BIereth