There are moments when time stops. A whole stadium full of people falls silent—some gasping and some with their hands on their heads unable to believe what just happened. In the high-intensity game of soccer, such instances are painful, but not rare. Just last December, a young and fit AS Roma midfielder, 22-year-old Edoardo Bavo, collapsed on the field (later confirmed as a cardiac arrest), and had to be rushed off to the hospital during his team’s Serie A match against Inter Milan. The harrowing scene showed the players forming a ring as medical personnel attended to the youngster, before transporting him to a hospital.

While Bavo is out of danger as of now after a successful surgery, the fragility of the situation only points toward one unfortunate fact: It was not the first, and it will not be the last. On Friday night, some 6,000 miles away, a similar incident left the community numb and praying.

It was supposed to be a great day for Angel City as they clashed with the Utah Royals. While the result screamed a massive success with three points, a comfortable 2-0 win, and even star veteran Christen Press getting her name on the scoresheet, at precisely the 74th minute is when things started going downhill. Savy King, the bright-eyed 20-year-old who got traded to her hometown team in February this year, went down suddenly in what the team called a “medical event” later. 

Medical personnel attended to the young player on the field for about 10 minutes, administering chest compressions, before she was rushed to a hospital. Megan Reid came on in her place in the 85th minute. Of course, the entire incident wasn’t televised or shown on the live stream due to the sensitivity of the events transpiring. ESPN’s Sarah Spain, however, took to X to report on what was happening. “Savy King is down on the field. Someone sprinted to the sideline to retrieve what might have been an AED – I don’t know that for sure. Don’t take my word for it. just what it looked like. It looks like they’re doing CPR & they’re putting her on a stretcher. We can’t see her,” wrote Spain.

Notably, after the game, ACFC communications also provided an update regarding on the situation through a statement that read: “Savy was transported by EMS to the hospital following a medical event on the field. She is responsive and undergoing further evaluation. We thank everyone for their concern and support.” Endearingly, in a show of solidarity and support after the game, both teams gathered in a circle at midfield to pray for King.

As for the game, Christen Press (66′) and Alyssa Thompson (98′) scored two goals, handing the opponents their third straight loss, and a 13th place in the league standings.

But, of course, with a heavy heart, the entire incident surrounding Savy King shook the NWSL fanbase to the core.

NWSL community keeps Angel City starlet in their prayers

It was indeed heartbreaking to see such a promising young talent like Savy King face a terrifying on-field emergency. Not to mention how young she is in her professional career. In response, the entire National Women’s Soccer League community came together, flooding the internet with love, support, and heartfelt wishes for Savy’s speedy recovery.

Messages like “Prayers up for Savy King. Hope to god she’s ok #ACFC” were echoing across all social media platforms. It’s evident that this incident had everyone on edge. Everything was going fine for the youngster—until suddenly, she was down on the pitch. Just looking at the pictures gives us a glimpse of how intense the scene must have been, so one can only imagine what those who witnessed the moment live must be going through.

Well, not just the internet had King in their prayers. After the game, both Angel City and Utah Royals players formed a big circle while keeping hands on each other’s shoulders to pray for the defender’s well-being. Meanwhile, another fan wrote, “Prayers to Savy King, that’s so scary.”

One fan who was apparently at BMO today even shared his terrifying experience, saying that hearing she was safe was the only thing that brought a sigh of relief: “This is a great update. Super scary to watch in the stadium. I swear 19k supporters were holding their breath.”

Assistant coach Eleri Earnshaw, during the post-match presser, brought some comfort. She said, “She is responsive and her family are with her, as are our medical staff. She’s in good hands.” But even after hearing this, fans aren’t letting up on the prayers: “Very good news. Praying for her and the family🙏.”

Today could have been an inch-perfect day for Angel City. Beyond securing a solid 2-0 win, the real highlight was veteran Christen Press finding the back of the net. Yet, moments after she lit up the BMO crowd, the atmosphere quickly turned tense. Now, all anyone can do is hope that Savy King returns to full fitness soon. Well, King, you have a message from your NWSL rivals as well, as Utah Royals wrote, “Our thoughts are with Savy King”.

Well, this is just a glimpse of the reactions seen across X for the Angel City star. While it’s true that Savy King is stable for now, fans certainly won’t feel at ease until they hear directly from the American youngster herself that she’s okay. Let’s hope that happens soon, and moving forward, we pray the beautiful game never has to witness such heartbreaking moments again.