The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association said that play should have been stopped in the game between Angel City FC and the Utah Royals on Friday following the nearly 10-minute delay to provide medical attention to Angel City defender Savy King.
The Players Association has called upon the NWSL to change its protocols and abandon any match that requires life-saving measures. King was transported to a local hospital in Los Angeles on Friday after collapsing on the field. Angel City said that King had surgery on Tuesday after “doctors discovered a heart abnormality” upon further examination.
The team said her “prognosis is excellent.” Friday’s match resumed after the incident and was played to its conclusion after King was transported off the field. Players from both teams were visibly shaken, and they locked arms in the center circle following the match.
“These moments demand humanity, sound judgment, and restraint,” the NWSLPA said in a statement. “Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued.
“Incidents of this severity must prioritize our collective humanity and should automatically trigger suspension of the match. The Players…
