Balogun Breaks His Silence, Bundesliga Finds a New Home, and Is Pirlo Italy's Next Coach?

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Folarin Balogun says he knew reinstatement would spark controversy — and could sense the tension it created inside the U.S. camp before their round-of-16 clash with Belgium. He’d been given a straight red card for landing on the leg of a Bosnia and Herzegovina defender while going for a pass, a decision he called shocking given there wasn’t even a tackle involved. Though there’s no formal appeal process for red cards, U.S. Soccer built a case to FIFA anyway — and the situation blew up further when President Trump revealed he’d personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review.

The suspension was lifted just a day before the Belgium match, and players learned the news from their phones on a bus ride to training — Balogun described the reaction as everyone “screaming and shouting” in a scene he called intense. He said the team tried to compartmentalize and stay focused despite the chaos, but Belgium came out fired up: their coach called the federation’s appeal “defending football in general,” and midfielder Youri Tielemans said the squad held a meeting specifically to respond to the news on the field. Belgium won 4-1, one of the U.S.’s worst-ever round-of-16 results.

The loss stalled momentum the U.S. had built with wins over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia, and the lopsided defeat — watched by more than 50 million people — likely didn’t help the sport’s broader push in the country. Still, Balogun said he felt the team had genuinely connected with new fans, pointing to how many young kids seemed drawn in by the run. He called uniting the country around the team a personal goal going in, and said he felt that happen despite how the tournament ended for them.

Versant just landed U.S. broadcast rights to the Bundesliga, splitting games between USA Network and Fandango (yes, the movie-ticket site) in a deal worth $100 million across five years, or $20 million annually. That’s actually a step down from the previous arrangement — Bundesliga’s six-year run on ESPN+ had been bringing in $30 million a year.

The tradeoff for the pay cut is reach. USA Network will air at least 30 matches, with the rest streaming free on Fandango — meaning the majority of Bundesliga games move out from behind ESPN+’s paywall entirely. A Bundesliga Americas exec framed it as a win on accessibility even with less money coming in, and for Versant it’s another piece of a live-sports push that already includes the WNBA, college sports, golf, and the Premier League. The more interesting subplot is Fandango’s push into live sports — Versant has reportedly wanted to put live sports on Fandango since Comcast spun the company off earlier this year, and this deal is the first real test of that.

Zoom out and it says something about the overseas soccer rights market right now: Bundesliga took roughly a 33% cut in value on this deal, even as the article notes it comes off a record World Cup viewership summer. Worth watching too — NBC’s $450 million-per-year Premier League deal expires after the 2027-28 season, so that’s the next big domino to fall in this space.

Andrea Pirlo has become the new frontrunner to take over as Italy’s head coach, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, with Paolo Maldini and Leonardo pushing to reunite with their former AC Milan teammate. Maldini’s now overseeing the coaching search alongside Leonardo as Italy prepares for their Nations League campaign in September, and until recently Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini were seen as the main contenders, with a long-shot idea of approaching Pep Guardiola also floated.

Pirlo’s case rests heavily on history and money. He was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad and is currently coaching United FC in Dubai, though his managerial résumé is thin — a Coppa Italia with Juventus in 2020-21, a stint in Turkey with Karagümrük, and a Sampdoria spell that ended in August 2024. He and Maldini go back a long way — the two spent a decade together at AC Milan, winning multiple domestic and European trophies between 2001 and 2011, and Maldini had reportedly wanted Pirlo as Milan’s coach once before. On top of the relationship, there’s a practical angle: unlike the other names in the mix, Pirlo’s salary demands wouldn’t strain the FIGC’s budget. No decision has been made yet, but he’s increasingly being described as the man to beat for the job.

Todd Smith grew up around soccer as his father was the athletic trainer for the Minnesota Kicks in the NASL back in the 1970s. It seems only right that Todd would take this soccer journey through all the countries in the United Kingdom to see all the levels of soccer in towns big and small. “Relegated” recounts Todd’s journey through the United Kingdom detailing all the fun people he met as well as understanding what a “true soccer culture” means. Check out this great interview as Todd sat down with Brooks to talk about this eye-opening journey.

Zach Haines has been an assistant coach at UNCW and Denver, but all he’s done since becoming the head coach at High Point University is win. HPU also sent 3 players to the 2025 MLS College Combine and had 3 players drafted in 2026 MLS SuperDraft! We sat down with Zach to recap the 2025 season, talk about the proposed two-semester season and more!!

Wayne State University has started a women's soccer program and Doug Steinard is in charge of the new program! We sat down with Doug to discuss the new program, how the recruiting process is going, what his goals for 2026 are and how nice of an area it is in Mid-Town around the Wayne State campus in Detroit!!

We Are Soccer takes you inside the game — exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and all-time legends who’ve shaped the sport.

Every Sunday at 9 PM ET, catch us live on YouTube as we break down the weekend’s biggest moments and look ahead at what’s coming in the soccer world. Prefer to listen on the go? New interviews drop every Tuesday and Thursday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Coming Up:

• Ian Barker- Coaching Educator at U.S. Soccer

• James DeCosemo — Head Coach, Central Michigan Women’s Soccer (Out now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts)

• Zach Ramsey- Washington Men’s Soccer, TST 7v7 and Getting Drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps

• Maren McCrary- YNT Talent ID Scout for U.S. Soccer

• Tori Christ- Michigan State Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper Coach

• And More!!

If you're passing through Oak Park, Michigan, or live in the area, make sure to stop by Dog and Pony Show Brewing. Their hand-crafted beers are among the best in Greater Detroit, and there's always something happening there any day of the week. It's a fantastic spot to catch a World Cup match over the summer or settle in for an EPL game during the season. A different food truck rolls up every day, keeping the menu fresh and exciting. Check out their Instagram to stay up to date on the weekly schedule of events!