Concussion concerns arise after World Cup collision
Teammates tend to Morgan Brian, who collided with Alexandra Popp of Germany during the Women's World Cup semifinal on Tuesday. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press)
During the Women’s World Cup soccer semifinals, many watched Morgan Brian and Alexandra Popp collide head-to-head — and then get right back into the game between the U.S. and Germany.
But we’ve heard it again and again – how dangerous it can be to keep playing after hitting your head in any scenario from after-school activities to the NFL to skiing accidents.
So how long is long enough to know if you have a concussion after hitting your head?
Dr. Sarah Allen, a brain injury specialist and assistant professor of psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, said a couple minutes is not nearly enough time to gauge the severity of a head injury.
“You sometimes expect to see more symptoms 24 to 48 hours after the injury just due to the inflammatory response in the brain,” she said.
There’s been a real push over recent years to raise awareness about concussions in sports and the impact they can have, she added.
“Then you watch something like this game, which has a huge stage for high school athletes watching and people looking for role models, and it’s just a little disconcerting,” she said.
After a brief timeout, Brian and Popp both stayed in the game for about 90 minutes.
The U.S. team prevailed 2-0 over Germany Tuesday night to win a berth in the Women’s World Cup soccer final.
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