Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foe has died in Lyon, France after passing out 15 minutes from the end of the Confederations Cup match that Cameroon was winning.

Article on Yahoo! News

[ June 26, 2003, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: metromathis13 ]

Very sad. I noticed not a word about the abuse of any banned substance. That may say something about how much more strictly such things are regulated in soccer as opposed tp many other pro sports.

I wonder about a long-standing undiagnosed health problem though. He may not have had the kind of rigorous, high tech health care in the Cameroons that is available in France fo instance. And clubs may not be motivated to look to deeply for them. Also wonder what the temperature was.

I believe the temperature was in the low 90's sportinlife. I thought it was cooler but Sportscenter said that the game time temperature was about 92....

[ June 27, 2003, 06:49 AM: Message edited by: metromathis13 ]

I read in another of my online haunts that there was another game played right after this happened. The poster was complaining because he felt they shouldn't have played because of the death of the Cameroon player.

There's informative article in USAToday about the death. I would still like to know whether he had a long-standing undiagnosed problem, even though he apparently played for Arsenal. Blatter's eagerness to continue the game contrasts with a French player who said he didn't think the stricken Cameroon players would have the emotional strength to continue. Should be an interesting match but I certainly wish it wasn't happening like this.

From everything I've read, it was a heart attack. Sad, sad, sad.

I remember Foe playing for Manchester City last year; a good player but City weren't going to re-sign him, so he was looking for a club to sign with.

He didn't play for Arsenal; he played for West Ham, his other English club.

I stand corrected Jim Allen. I misinterpreted the two penultimate paragraphs of the link I inserted.

I hope there will be more information about the circumstances of the death. US coach Arenas has already criticized the harrowing schedule of the competition.

Foe had suffered diarrhea two days before the match. Though that may or may not be related to the cause of his collapse the autopsy results will be intersting.

European players have often criticized the strenuosness of the season play they have to endure before the World Cups, as opposed to the less grueling ones of non-european leagues. Perhaps this issue will be revisited now.



A sad day for soccer, but he may not have wanted to go any other way

[ June 28, 2003, 03:03 PM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]