Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images
A scary incident unfolded during an NWSL game between Angel City and the Utah Royals last week after Savy King suddenly collapsed onto the field during the second half of the match. The two squads ended up finishing the contest, and the league has acknowledged it probably should have called it off after getting hit with some backlash.
Professional athletes tend to be in better shape than the vast majority of the general population, but they also subject their bodies to significantly more stress and can end up dealing with a number of medical complications as a result despite being largely healthy.
It’s not rare to see an athlete get injured during a game, but there’s nothing scarier than seeing someone go down for seemingly no reason at all, which is usually an indication they’ve suffered a cardiovascular event that can be life-threatening if they don’t receive the proper treatment as quickly as possible.
Most NFL fans are very familiar with the terrifying scene that unfolded when Damar Hamlin collapsed during a game between the Bills and the Chiefs in 2023 (which was subsequently canceled), and soccer fans likely remember the similarly harrowing moment Denmark’s Christian Eriksen suddenly fell to the pitch during their Euro showdown with Finland in 2021 (play ultimately resumed following a lengthy delay after UEFA gave players the option to head back out or play the remainder the next day).
Last Friday, a NWSL match between Angel City FC and the Utah Royals also came to a halt in the 76th minute when the formers’s Savy King went down near midfield before trainers rushed to her aid.
The defender (who is recovering after undergoing surgery to address a “heart abnormality”) was carted off the field and taken to the hospital before the game continued, but Utah coach Jimmy Coenraets made it clear he thought it should have been called off in the wake of his squad’s 2-0 defeat.
According to The Athletic, the NWSL has belatedly conceded that would have been the correct call, with a spokesperson saying:
“Having reviewed our protocols and how they were implemented, and in listening to feedback from our stakeholders, the Angel City vs Utah game last Friday night should not have continued.
The health and well-being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority, and in any similar situation going forward the game should and would be abandoned.”
Better late than never.