In Striking Distance

Prologue | Sportsify

Dan: Breaking news folks, we've just received reports that London Lions forward, Orson Adler has been taken to the hospital for additional testing after he was stretchered off the pitch in a game against Manchester City.

Rachel: Do we have a clip of the incident?

Dan: Yes, it is just playing behind us.

*Both glance at screen."

Rachel: Ouch, that looks painful.

Dan: *Nods* if we see the replay, Alder seems to be going for the ball but twists his ankle awkwardly, landing on his back instead. I would assume that it is an ankle injury, but you never know from his angle.

Rachel: I agree with you Dan, but with the lack of movement, not even a traditional wave to the crowd-it worries me that there is a possibility of the spinal cord being damaged.

Dan: Yep, that is definitely a possibility. We've seen it happen in this sport before. In fact, there was a study conducted in 2020 that found that between 1976 and 2020 there were 14 soccer related spinal cord injuries and 50% of athletes were able to fully function afterwards. I won't mention the fates of the other 50% though...

Rachel: Wow, I'm not even going to ask how you know that.

Dan: Let's just say, after my divorce, it seems like I have a lot more time on my hands.

Rachel: *Laughs awkwardly* Well back to Adler, I'd say we shouldn't get too carried away yet.

Dan: Fair enough. Rachel, I think he did the right thing by laying on the ground and waiting for the medical staff to stretcher him off. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself further. You will remember that he injured his hips two season ago but has been in good health ever since. This could be a devastating blow to the team. The London Lions were looking to make a big splash at winning the Premier League title.

Rachel: Certainly. According to a statement put out by the team minutes ago, he was rushed to the hospital and is awaiting further scans. Nothing yet is known about the severity of the injury or the impact it will have on his return. We will provide an update as soon as we receive it.

Dan: We can only hope and pray that Adler is doing well.

Rachel: Yes, hopefully, this injury is minor and doesn't keep him out too long. His team will need him if they want to secure the Premier League title from Manchester City.

Dan: That they will. Folks don't go anywhere; we will be back right here at Sportsify after this commercial break to break down the best soccer plays of the week around the globe. Funnily enough, you may see Orson Adler himself on our list...