Women's soccer match is abandoned after USA player collapses on field in terrifying medical emergency

A match between Racing Louisville FC and Seattle Reign FC was abandoned after Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo collapsed on the pitch just before halftime.

DeMelo was helped on the pitch by medical staff and was then transported to a local hospital in Seattle after the terrifying scenes.

Racing Louisville confirmed that she was stable and alert and was undergoing further evaluation.

In a statement, the National Women's Soccer League confirmed that the match was abandoned: 'Our first priority is [Demelo's] health and safety, and we are in close communication with Racing Louisville's medical team.

'We recognized the concern this incident may cause, particularly in light of recent conversations around player safety.

'The NWSL remains committed to ensuring that the highest standards of medical care and emergency response are in place at every match.'

The league concluded their statement by saying that the rest of the match would be re-scheduled for a later date. 

This is the second medical incident that DeMelo has experienced this season.

Back on March 22, during a match against Bay FC in San Francisco, she went down on the pitch after feeling dizzy and experiencing shortness of breath. DeMelo was taken off by a stretcher.

The 27-year-old DeMelo revealed to ESPN that she had been diagnosed with Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism last fall.

Both those conditions affect the thyroid glands. Symptoms include increased heartbeat, heat intolerance, excessive sweating, fatigue, bulging eyes, and tremors among other side effects.

'Playing a 90-minute game felt unbearable,' she told the outlet in May. 'I would get to maybe the 25th minute, and I felt like my heart was just like beating so fast, like out of my chest. I felt so out of breath, so out of shape. I didn't really know what was going on.' 

It is not clear at the time of publishing if either of those conditions contributed to this incident. 

DeMelo, a native of California, has spent her entire club career with Louisville - scoring 20 goals across all competitions since turning pro in 2022. 

She has also been capped seven times by the US Women's National Team - earning her first cap during a send-off match against Wales prior to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. 

DeMelo made two substitute appearances for the USWNT in that tournament in the group stage matches against Vietnam and The Netherlands. 

DeMelo's most recent cap with the USWNT came in a 3-0 win over China in a friendly back on December 2, 2023.