U.S. women’s national soccer team star Savannah DeMelo collapsed Sunday night during an NWSL game.
DeMelo, 27, was stable and alert after she was taken to a hospital, according to her club, Racing Louisville. She collapsed during a game against OL Reign at Lumen Field in Seattle, and the match was called off after the incident.
“Our hearts are with Savannah DeMelo and her family following last night’s game,” the league’s players association said in a statement. “Her health and well-being remain our top priority, and we are relieved she is receiving the medical attention she needs. Postponing the match was the right decision.”
DeMelo sat down on the field in the match’s 47th minute, just before halftime, and then fell backward to the grass. Trainers from both teams rushed onto the field, and the broadcast cut away from the scary scene.
Previously, DeMelo spoke about her battles with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. During a match in March, she reported dizziness and chest tightness and was stretchered off the field.
“Playing a 90-minute game felt unbearable,” she told ESPN in May. “I would get to maybe the 25th minute, and I felt like my heart was just beating so fast, like out of my chest. I felt so out of breath, so out of shape. I didn’t really know what was going on.”
DeMelo was the second NWSL player to collapse during a match this season. In May, Angel City defender Savy King collapsed on the field and was taken away in an ambulance. She eventually needed heart surgery.
