America’s Midas Turned the U.S. Men’s Game into Something Offal
The FXBG ADVANCE 7/7/26 AFTERNOON READ
By Drew Gallagher, ADVANCE COLUMNIST
I don’t believe in an interventional God. But I do believe in the gods of sports. On Monday night, the gods of soccer visited Seattle to remind FIFA and the world that no mortals should ever believe they are bigger than the game.
On this fated Monday, the United States faced Belgium in the round of 16 in soccer’s World Cup, and even Vegas had installed the U.S. men’s national team as the betting favorite despite a history that paled in comparison to the Belgian side. When the Vegas line first opened a week ago, though, the two sides were a dead heat—even—until FIFA, under pressure from President Trump, put their finger on the scales and reinstated America’s leading scorer, Flo Balogun, by lifting a one-game suspension for a red card Balogun had been given in the round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
By some measures, FIFA righted a wrong. Balogun’s foul had been neither malicious or intentional, and the whole world knew it.
Except FIFA, the most corrupt sporting organization in the history of the world (including Caligula’s gladiators), didn’t right the wrong in a reasonable window of 24-48 hours. FIFA waited until the day before the pivotal match—and after a phone call from the meddling Trump—to cite an arcane rule and reinstate Balogun in time to spar with the Belgians.
American soccer fans rejoiced. The gods of soccer were not amused.
In both Greek and Roman mythology, the Phrygian King Midas was legendary for his greed and foolishness (and his donkey ears, but that’s from another story). Blessed, or cursed, with the ability to turn anything he touched into gold, it wasn’t long before he had nothing left to eat or drink—or love.
Food: Solid gold.
Drink: Solid gold.
Daughter: Solid gold.
It’s much the same with Trump, America’s would-be Midas, only everything he touches, including the U.S. Men’s Word Cup Soccer Team in their quarterfinal match against Belgium, turns to awful offal, which we witnessed Monday night when the U.S. Men were totally embarrassed in losing to Belgium 4-1.
FIFA was perfectly capable of screwing up the Balogun red card reversal all on its own. They screwed it up when they levelled it initially. The fact that Trump was allowed to play a role in the reversal of the red card was spitting in the face of the sporting gods. FIFA, and Trump, thought they had golden-gifted the United States their best striker just in time to ride off into the sunset and advance to the quarterfinals. The gods had other plans.
Donald Trump has a pathetic need to make every moment about himself, and try to claim victory from ventures that he was not involved in until they became popular. His name being associated with the U.S. Men’s National Team turned a number of fans off before the Belgium match, and, from the looks of things, also placed an enormous amount of pressure on star player Christian Pulisic that resulted in coal instead of diamonds.
The World Cup dream ended in an absolute disaster for the United States Men’s Soccer team on Monday in Seattle. The gods of soccer made it so.
No TDS here.
I'm willing to bet that someone on the US team took advantage of this with all the money involved...Follow the money....
I am guessing you have TDS!