Angel City Football Club will return to action Saturday in its first game since defender Savy King collapsed during last week’s game against the Utah Royals.
King underwent surgery Tuesday to correct a heart abnormality, the team announced.
Angel City will visit Bay FC on Saturday, the team that drafted King, a 20-year-old from Agoura High, out of North Carolina in the 2024 NWSL draft.
“It’s been a really challenging week for everybody,” Angel City interim coach Sam Laity said. “Everybody at the club, myself included, as well as everyone from outside the club are very happy that Savy is in recovery, and it’s very positive for the future for her.
“Also, very thankful for the medical staff and their incredible care for Savy during, immediately after, and up to this point with the care and attention they’ve shown. The medical teams of both Angel City and the hospitals have done an amazing job.”
In the aftermath of the incident, the NWSL has changed its stance regarding the situation. Last Saturday, the league said in a statement that league protocols “were followed from both a medical and game operations perspective.”
The game resumed after King was carted off the field. She was admitted that night to California Hospital Medical Center. The next day, she was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
On Wednesday, the NWSL Players Association released a statement saying that while it is “grateful” that King is recovering, changes must be made. “These moments demand humanity, sound judgment and restraint. Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care, should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued,” the statement read.
On Friday, the NWSL reversed its course: “Having reviewed our protocols and how they were implemented and in listening to feedback from our stakeholders, the Angel City vs. Utah game last Friday should not have continued and we regret that it did.
“The health and well-being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority and in any similar situation going forward, the game should and would be abandoned.”
Angel City (4-2-2, 14 points) went on to defeat Utah 2-0 for its first shutout of the season.
“Getting the shutout felt so good for all of us, even though it was a weird, emotionally charged night,” goalkeeper Angelina Anderson said. “Looking back on our performance and being able to get that done in pretty tough conditions felt really good for us.
“It’s going to be a boost of confidence going forward. We kind of got a monkey off our backs knowing we finally got our first clean sheet. I took a lot of pride in it, so I’m just really happy with that.”
Angel City begins the week in fifth place, tied with San Diego Wave FC and four points behind first-place Kansas City. Bay FC (2-4-2) is in 12th place with eight points.
Sophia Mattice added
Angel City announced the defender Sophia Mattice was added to the roster on a short-term contract ahead of Saturday’s game. Mattice, who finished college at Kentucky, has trained with the club since February.
ANGEL CITY FC at BAY FC
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: PayPal Park; San Jose, California
How to watch: ION
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