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Reign edge Racing Louisville 1-0 in continuation of match suspended by medical issue

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Jess Fishlock scored in the 90th minute and the Seattle Reign beat Racing Louisville 1-0 on Tuesday night, finishing a match that was suspended Sunday because of a medical emergency on the field.

Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo collapsed late in the first half of the match and had to be taken from the field by ambulance. Shortly thereafter, the decision was made to postpone the remainder of the game.

The final 45 minutes were played Tuesday without fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field. Players on both sides wore purple wristbands in DeMelo’s honor.

Fishlock, who came on as a late substitute, split two defenders to score her fifth goal of the season from the top of the box. It was her 47th career regular-season goal.

The win snapped a five-game winless streak for the Reign, who hadn’t won since Aug. 1 against Angel City

Both teams were above the playoff line in the NWSL standings, but coming off of losses. Louisville (7-8-5) fell 2-1 at home to the Portland Thorns in its last outing, ending a four-game unbeaten streak.

Seattle (8-6-6) was coming off a 2-0 loss on the road to the Washington Spirit.

DeMelo remained hospitalized in Seattle, surrounded by family. She was alert and undergoing tests to determine why she collapsed.

“I’m extremely thankful to our whole medical staff for the quick response. They’ve been with me every step of the way,” she said in a statement released by the team on Monday. “The support from everyone has truly meant the world to me, and I’m excited to cheer on the girls this week.”

DeMelo, 27, left a match in March because of dizziness and chest tightness and was taken off the field on a stretcher. She revealed in May that she has been dealing with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Soccer Writer

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