Why Savy King's Angel City return is about more than just football
The defender is back playing after a 10-month absence following cardiac arrest last year
The best part of Angel City FC’s 4-0 romp of the Chicago Stars during the opening weekend of the NWSL season was not any of the team’s four goals, impressive as they were. Instead, it was a substitution. In the 63rd minute, Savy King entered the match, marking her first appearance since suffering a cardiac emergency on the same pitch more than 10 months prior.
King’s collapse on in May last year was a watershed moment for the NWSL. After she was resuscitated by medical staff and stretchered off the pitch onto an ambulance, the match continued, despite players on both teams (Angel City and Utah Royals) being visibly shaken. That decision was slammed by players, the NWSL Players’ Association, fans, and journalists.
Eventually, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman acknowledged that the match should not have continued, and would not continue should a similar medical situation happen in the future.
However, Berman doesn’t get a gold star for taking accountability. In a press conference weeks after the incident, Berman was asked about the extent to which she was involved in the decision to continue the game. “Yeah, I think as we review the situation, I don’t think it’s constructive to recount who did what and when,” Berman responded.
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