Balogun is the revelation striker of the European season 22/23 – 06/16/2023 – The World is a Ball

With the 2022/2023 season of clubs in Europe over, it is time to choose the revelation among the strikers who played in the main championships in the old continent.

I will not speak of the Norwegian Haaland, 22, of Manchester City, who was the top scorer in a national league (36 goals), nor of Mbappé, of PSG, who for the fifth consecutive time was the top scorer of the French Championship (Ligue 1), this time time with 29 tries.

These two are already a reality in football, and the Frenchman, due to his age (24) and his performance with the national team (in World Cups, one title and one runner-up), can be considered a veteran in comparison with younger people who are emerging. .

New to mention is Folarin Balogun, nicknamed by some as “Balogol”.

He is American, 21 years old and shone for Reims, a club that had a great time in the middle of the last century, winning six championships and two national cups, and has been hovering in mid-table for some time.

In the season that ended on the 3rd of this month, Reims struggled in offensive terms, scoring 45 goals in 38 games (average of 1.18 per game), only being better in that regard than five teams out of the 20 teams in the French Championship – three of which were downgraded.

Thus, in order not to run the risk of falling and finishing in 11th place, Reims had a satisfactory defense (45 goals conceded) and Balogun’s goals.

Of the 45 scored by Reims, the right-handed striker (and also good with the left-hander), fast and skinny (1.78 m and 66 kg), scored 21, or 47% of the total. Haaland scored 38% of Man City’s Premier League goals and Mbappé 33% of PSG’s in Ligue 1.

If you add to those 21 the two assists (passes that result in a goal) that he gave, Balogun was involved in more than half of Reims’ goals in the competition.

Unfortunately for Reims, the team could only count on its top scorer, who is a fan of the Uruguayan Cavani and the Polish Lewandowski, for one season. The loan is over, and he will return to Arsenal.

If the current English runner-up does not loan him out again, Balogun, who has a contract until 2025, will face an arduous dispute for position, competing with fellow strikers Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah.

Born in New York and the son of Nigerians living in England, Balogun could choose to defend one of three countries (USA, Nigeria or England).

In the base categories, he played for the English Team, but he decided for the North American adult team, perhaps because he considered that the competition was less fierce.

Eligible to play for the USA after FIFA approval, he made his debut for the national team this Thursday (15th), in the Concacaf League of Nations.

Wearing the number 20 shirt, he started as a starter and did not score, but he was lucky for the Americans, who in the match in Las Vegas thrashed Mexico 3-0.

If he manages to go out on the field frequently at his club (Arsenal or another) and maintain his scoring phase from now on, Balogun has a good chance of establishing himself at the helm of the US attack and being one of the stars of the country that will be one of the hosts – along with Mexico and Canada– from the next World Cup, in 2026.

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