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.”

In 2022, the NFL called off a game and took it off the books after cornerback Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills suffered cardiac arrest and was revived on the field. Players for both teams were visibly and understandably shaken on the field, and the game was cancelled.

Angel City defender Savy King has undergone successful heart surgery, the club confirmed Tuesday, after she collapsed during a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match on Friday.