The stadium fell completely silent. One moment, the game between Racing Louisville and Seattle Reign FC was intense and electric. The next, Savannah DeMelo, Louisville’s midfield powerhouse, collapsed on the pitch. Teammates froze. Fans held their breath. Medical staff rushed to her side. For a few terrifying minutes, nothing else mattered. Hours later, the soccer world was relieved as DeMelo was reported to be stable. But the fear, the uncertainty of that moment, the memory of it, stayed with all the viewers as the Utah coach commented on it

Louisville continued the match without their star, ultimately falling 3-2 in a close-fought contest. But even in defeat, humanity and empathy shone through. Utah coach Paige Monaghan shared in a post-game interview that, paused before talking about the game. She said, “Before we go on to the interview with me, I just wanted to say that on behalf of Utah, our thoughts and prayers are with Savannah DeMelo. We’re so grateful that she’s doing well…just wishing her well. There are bigger things in soccer. So before I talk about myself, I just wanna put it out there that we’re sending love and prayer to her and to her family and the team that was there…shoutout to Seattle’s and Racing Louisville’s medical team for being able to help her.” Her words left everyone, even Racing Louisville, emotional.

Racing Louisville saw this video, they commented on it, saying, “So thankful for the support for Sav from Paige and everyone around the @NWSL.” For Savannah, the moment was especially frightening given her health history. This year, she revealed that the star was also diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that has the potential to cause hyperthyroidism, dizziness, and chest tightness.

Here’s how it happened: toward the end of the first half, DeMelo sat on the pitch and seemed unconscious until first responders provided her with oxygen and safely transported her to an ambulance. Players and staff were seen on camera to be visibly emotional and referee Jaclyn Metz halted the game and went directly to halftime.

The NWSL momentarily stopped the match, to resume on Tuesday evening, when Seattle finally won the match 1-0. However, the scoreboard was not important in those strained emotional times. All that people were concerned about was the health of Savannah and the surrounding support. The incident was not a single one though.

Savannah DeMelo’s scare prompts NWSL to revamp player safety protocols

In May last season, a life-threatening medical condition occurred on the field, as Angel City FC defender Savy King suffered a life-threatening health issue during an intense match with the Utah Royals. She collapsed, and first responders immediately gave her chest compressions and a defibrillator to stabilize her and transported her to a hospital in Los Angeles.

Even though the situation was highly serious, the match was resumed, though this immediately resulted in criticism on the part of Utah coach Jimmy Coenraets and USWNT star Trinity Rodman, who said that the game should not have been resumed under such conditions.

After the scandal, the league then realized that the game should have been suspended and took steps to reorganize its processes in an attempt to ensure faster decision-making, communication, and better management of this issue in the future. The lessons learned were reflected by NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “Having had the opportunity to play it out earlier this year, assess and learn the things that we could do better, and then actually have the chance to do it better the second time around, it was a moment that allowed us to show what we’re capable of.”

Berman further explained. “We at least now know exactly how to manage those situations.” That is what the fans and players alike can understand: the NWSL believes in learning, developing, and making player safety their number-one priority.