Folarin Balogun’s last two games for the USMNT have shown he’s becoming an important striker for the team. Against Japan, his goal showed his positioning and timing, both of which have been praised by teammates and coaches.
Folarin Balogun left Columbus on Tuesday with a goal and a stronger case to be the USMNT’s number one striker. Two veteran voices , Tim Ream and Christian Pulisic , gave him a big thumbs up: not just finishes, but movement, timing and hold-up play that relieves pressure and creates space.
Related: Gregg Berhalter is an unexpected winner as USMNT fans turn against Pochettino
What Balogun brings to the USMNT
Tim Ream praised Balogun’s movement and awareness after the 2–0 win over Japan. “He brings that know-how, and the timing of his runs. To be able to put defenders on the back foot, running back towards their goal, helps us massively,” Ream said via The Athletic. That was clear on Balogun’s second-half strike, when he timed his run perfectly to meet a through ball and double the U.S. lead.
Christian Pulisic said Balogun’s ability to relieve pressure when the team needs an outlet is huge. “He gives sort of an out a lot of the times. Whether it’s coming into pockets and laying the ball off, or it’s little runs in behind, he just kind of relieves the team when we’re under pressure,” Pulisic said. That combination of link-up play and direct running gives the U.S. options in both transition and possession.
Folarin Balogun’s time at Monaco has been up and down, mostly because of injuries limiting his minutes, but when he has been able to be on the pitch, he has shown what he can do, scoring in Ligue 1 and even a hat-trick in a friendly.
With the USMNT, he’s becoming more consistent and getting praise from teammates like Tim Ream and Christian Pulisic for his smart movement and ability to create space.
It’s the little things, the runs, layoffs and ability to relieve pressure, that do not always show up on the stats, but add to the overall balance of the USMNT attack.
He scores goals but his off-the-ball work makes him an important player for the team, giving Mauricio Pochettino flexibility as the USMNT heads into the 2026 World Cup.
Related: 3 key questions about the USMNT’s 3-back formation after win over Japan