Savannah DeMelo thanked medical staff, teammates and fans for their support on Monday, a day after she collapsed on the field during Racing Louisville‘s match against Seattle Reign FC at Lumen Field.
Racing said in a statement Monday that DeMelo was at a local hospital and is undergoing testing to determine what caused her to go to the ground late in the first half of Sunday’s game.
“I’m lucky to have my family with me while I’m waiting for test results to come back,” DeMelo said in Louisville’s statement. “I’m extremely thankful to our whole medical staff for the quick response. They’ve been with me every step of the way. The support from everyone has truly meant the world to me, and I’m excited to cheer on the girls this week.”
Louisville added in its statement that the match against Seattle would resume behind closed doors at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday with the score tied 0-0 to start the second half.
“From the moment the incident began, Savannah’s health has been our top priority,” Racing general manager Caitlyn Flores Milby said. “I’m deeply grateful to our athletic trainers, Tara Condon and Michaela Clay, for their quick action and to the entire Seattle Reign medical staff for their assistance in getting Savannah the care that she required.”
DeMelo, 27, left a match in March because of dizziness and chest tightness, and she was stretchered off the field. She revealed in May that she has been dealing with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism.
She was the fourth pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft out of Southern California. In three seasons with Louisville, she has played in 61 games with 14 goals.
DeMelo was on the United States roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Earlier this year, Angel City FC defender Savy King collapsed during a match in Los Angeles and required heart surgery.
The league was criticized because the match went on after King was taken from the field by ambulance. Days later, the league expressed regret for the decision and said the game should have been called off.
NWSL rules for 2025 state that the league “recognizes that emergencies may arise which make the start or progression of a game inadvisable or dangerous for participants and spectators. Certain event categories automatically trigger the League Office into an evaluation of whether delay or postponement is necessary.”
In a statement on Monday, the NWSLPA said that postponing the match was the right call.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
