CNN
—
Angel City defender Savy King, who was hospitalized after collapsing during Friday night’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match against the Utah Royals, is “responsive,” her club said in a statement.
The 20-year-old fell to the ground in the 74th minute and was attended to by medical personnel, who appeared to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), per Reuters.
Around 10 minutes after collapsing, King was stretchered off the field with an oxygen mask on her face.
Angel City said she was transported by emergency medical services to the hospital and is undergoing further evaluation.
After the game – which Angel City won 2-0 with goals from Christen Press and Alyssa Thompson – both sets of players joined each other in a circle to offer a prayer for King.
Despite some players looking visibly distressed, the match had resumed after King was taken off the field, a decision which was criticized by Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets.
“I’m not sure if we should have continued the game,” the Belgian said after the game.
“Not only them but also our players were just scared, and I think that’s not the right position, not the right situation to be in. But in the end, we played on, so that’s a decision that other people are making which is fine. But I think it was a really tough moment.”
King – who was selected by Bay FC with the second overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft – has started all eight games for Angel City this season, having joined the club in February.
Prior to entering the NWSL, she played for the University of North Carolina and made multiple appearances for the US youth national teams at the under-17 and under-20 levels.