NWSL admits Angel City-Utah game should not have continued after Savy King collapse

The NWSL has admitted that the Angel City vs. Utah Royals game should not have continued following Savy King’s on-field collapse.

A league spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that it had come to that conclusion following a review of its protocols and “listening to feedback from our stakeholders.”

King received on-field medical attention after collapsing around the 74th minute of the game at BMO Stadium last Friday. The match was stopped for around 16 minutes before resuming, with King taken off the field on a cart and transported to California Hospital Medical Center. Angel City said Wednesday that King had undergone successful surgery to address a heart abnormality at at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, describing her prognosis as “excellent.”

“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,” an NWSL spokesperson said Friday. “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.”

Utah head coach Jimmy Coenraets told reporters after the game that he was not sure the game should have continued after King’s collapse. The NWSL Players Association later said the match should have been abandoned.

“These moments demand humanity, sound judgment and restraint,” the Players Association said in its statement. “Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued.

“Our members are elite, world-class competitors who have proven they can perform under unimaginable conditions. That does not mean they should have to.”

The NWSL said Wednesday it was reviewing how it deals with serious medical incidents on the field. As reported earlier this week, the league has the final say when it comes to playing on following major incidents — whether medical, weather-related, or anything else — according to internal policies seen by The Athletic. Beyond that, league commissioner Jessica Berman has the final say in overruling any protocol to make a decision.

Angel City was ahead 1-0 when the incident happened and won the match 2-0. After full-time, the two teams gathered in a circle and Utah defender Alex Loera, a teammate of King’s at Bay FC in 2024, appeared to lead them in a prayer.

“On behalf of our entire family, along with Savy, we have been so moved by the love and support from Angel City players, staff, fans, and community, as well as soccer fans across the country,” King’s family wrote in a statement released by the team Tuesday. “We are blessed to share Savy is recovering well, and we are looking forward to having her home with us soon.”

(Jessica Alcheh/Imagn Images)