The referee who issued the red card that knocked US soccer star Folarin Balogun out of Wednesday night’s Round of 32 game and Monday night’s Round of 16 matchup against Belgium has stirred up tremendous controversy. But it’s not his first time in the middle of a firestorm over a red card. Rafael Claus, a FIFA referee of Brazilian descent, was once accused of match fixing in his native country in February 2023. In what will no doubt seem even more ominous to American fans, Claus was specifically accused of issuing “irregular red cards.” Sounds like the Pac-12 official that had been suspended during the year, but was allowed to ref the VT vs Meechigan bowl game.