[Texas Eagle]

The still photo makes it look worse than the video but rules are rules and the officials ruled it deserved a red card. If the situation was reversed, Falungong would’ve rolled around on the ground like his foot had been decapitated and the other player would’ve been red carded. Soccer players are coached to be drama queens for this reason.

[Sicon]

Yes, the drama queen aspect of the sport is why it will never be a big sport in the U.S. Faking injury or a foul is essentially cheating, and we don't generally care too much for that.

But, I would also add that Balogun had position on the defender, who initiated the contact by running into and shouldering Balogun from behind. That's why Balogun was off balance, and why he ended up stepping on the defender's leg.

If the rules say that Balogun deserved a red car for that? Well, just one more reason that soccer is such a crap sport.

[Steve_Seattle1]

I'm just guessing, but I've probably watched a lot more soccer than you have and that was NOT a play that normally gets a red card, or even a yellow card: two players were going for the ball and their feet got tangled. Stuff like that happens several times a game with either just a non-flag penalty or - at worst - a yellow card.

In the England-Norway game about a week later, the pony-tailed Norway star blatantly shoved an English player from behind and the player went down hard. There was a penalty, and it negated a Norway goal, but there was no yellow or red card.

[MortMan]

Officials ruled it deserved a red card based on the slow-motion replay - basically two or three frames - which is NOT allowed by the officiating rules. The officials broke the rules to call the penalty.