The match was still going on.
But on the field, the players from both the Cameroon and United States teams had their minds elsewhere.
The moment Vivian Foe collapsed was terrifying. One moment, he's your teammate—the one you were just excitedly discussing where to celebrate after the match, the one you were complaining with about the blind referee and the opponent's dirty tackles. He's your roommate, the one who couldn't sleep late at night and shared stories about how his rambunctious seven-year-old son was driving him crazy, how his wife was always complaining that he never spent time with her. The next moment, he suddenly collapses beside you and is rushed off the field on a stretcher.
The psychological impact of that scene was simply immense.
Lucen Metomo, the first to see Vivian Foe fall, sat on the bench with his face in his hands, crying uncontrollably.
His teammates around him were all silent.
Some had red, tear-filled eyes.
