Pochettino also shared Balogun's emotional state after the match.
"He is disappointed, very disappointed," said Pochettino. "Because it wasn't intentional and he's said.
He is also happy because we qualified – but disappointed and sad because it was not his intention."
US midfielder Tyler Adams also questioned the severity of the punishment.
"I think it's a yellow card," Adams said. "I think when you slow everything down, it is always going to look worse."
Fox analyst and former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg agreed that the play did not meet the criteria for an ejection.
"When you watch it in real time, you don't see the ankle twist," Clattenburg said.
"It's just that accident, as Balogun puts his foot down, he catches underneath his opponent's foot. This is just an accident."
Pochettino will choose between PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi and Coventry City's Haji Wright to fill the void against Belgium.
"We will have different options," Pochettino said. "We'll have to see which one we take."
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Balogun became the fifth US player to receive a red card in World Cup history, following Eric Wynalda (1990), Fernando Clavijo (1994), and Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni (2006).
