SEATTLE — Getting Folarin Balogun back into the U.S. men’s national team lineup for Monday’s round-of-16 knockout game gives an enormous lift to the American side. Balogun’s one-game red card ban was suspended a year by FIFA, on the eve of the team’s match vs. Belgium, as first reported by The Athletic. With its leading scorer available for selection, the U.S. can feel considerably more confident as it seeks to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.“Obviously for us, it gives us a boost,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said Sunday morning. Pulisic said he and other teammates learned of the change while on the bus on the way to training.For a U.S. team that has been riding home crowd momentum and the support of the country behind them, it now has the added good vibes of this surprise — one that has galvanized a fanbase that had been advocating for Balogun’s return.“Free Balo” signs were popping up amongst fan group chats and on social media in the aftermath of the red card, which Balogun received in the round of 32 for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic, following a video review. Now the U.S. has its star striker back. It came as a shock to players, who learned of the decision via social media on the team bus on the way to training. Starting center back Chris Richards joked that he “thought it was AI” at first, and that he needed several texts from family members and confirmations from different sources before he believed it.The challenge that led to the red card (Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)While the players looked mostly calm and business-as-usual at training at the University of Washington, they couldn’t hold their smiles back when asked about Balogun’s return. There was a sort of lightness to the mood of a team that was still trying to absorb the news.“We’re very happy, we know how much impact he can make on the game,” defender Alex Freeman said. “Finding out he’s available just gives us extra confidence.”