Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo was stable and alert after she was taken by ambulance from a match Sunday against the Seattle Reign because of a medical emergency.
The game at Seattle’s Lumen Field was called off following the incident late in the first half.
DeMelo sat down on the field before collapsing. Trainers rushed to her side and players from both teams were visibly shaken.
The television cameras cut away from the scene on the field and the match went to halftime early. Reign players emerged a short time later to applaud their fans as an announcement was made that the match was abandoned.
“Savannah, who received immediate on-field care from medical personnel, is stable and alert. She was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,” Racing Louisville said.
The game was scoreless when it was suspended. The remainder will be played on a date mutually agreed on by both teams, and will be picked up where it left off.
“We stand side by side with Louisville during this time and thank our fans for their support,” the Reign said in a statement. The team said further updates will be provided as appropriate.
The NWSL said its first priority was DeMelo’s health and safety, and the league was in close communication with Racing Louisville.
“We recognize the concern this incident may cause, particularly in light of recent conversations around player safety,” a league statement said. “The NWSL remains committed to ensuring that the highest standards of medical care and emergency response are in place at every match.”
DeMelo, 27, left a match in March because of dizziness chest tightness and was stretchered off the field. She revealed in May that she has been dealing with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism.
DeMelo was the fourth pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft out of Southern California. In three seasons with Louisville, she has played in 61 games with 14 goals.
She was on the U.S. national team roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Earlier this year, Angel City defender Savy King collapsed during a match in Los Angeles and required heart surgery.
The league was criticized because the match went on after King was taken from the field by ambulance. Days later, the league expressed regret for the decision and said the game should have been called off.
NWSL rules for 2025 state that the league “recognizes that emergencies may arise which make the start or progression of a game inadvisable or dangerous for participants and spectators. Certain event categories automatically trigger the League Office into an evaluation of whether delay or postponement is necessary.”
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