A referee collapsed from the heat, and players immediately rushed to help... 女 The assistant referee also quickly ran over to deliver a drink.

*This content was translated by AI.

A rare scene unfolded on the World Cup stage. During an intense match, someone collapsed on the field. It was not a player, but the referee in charge of the game. The players immediately rushed to assist the referee, demonstrating warm sportsmanship.

On the 20th (Korean time), the United States defeated Australia 2-0 in the second group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, USA. With this victory, following their 4-1 win over Paraguay in the first match, the United States secured two consecutive wins (6 points) against Australia, guaranteeing their advancement from the group stage regardless of the outcome of the remaining match.

In contrast, Australia could not maintain the positive momentum from their 2-0 victory over Turkey in the first match. With one win and one loss (3 points), Australia now faces the possibility of being overtaken depending on the results of the match between Paraguay and Turkey.

The United States took control of the match early. In the 11th minute of the first half, they took a 1-0 lead thanks to an own goal by Australian defender Cameron Burgess (Swansea City). In the 43rd minute of the first half, Alex Freeman (Villarreal) added another goal with a header shot utilizing a high-scoring opportunity. The United States focused on defense in the second half, maintaining their two-goal lead and securing a victory in front of home fans.

However, a scene that drew as much attention as the result of the match occurred. In the final moments of the game, referee Felix Zwayer complained of a leg cramp and collapsed on the field. Zwayer suddenly expressed pain during stoppage time in the second half and sat down on the field. It appeared that both the players and the referee felt physical strain due to the hot weather.

Players approached with worried expressions. Australian midfielder Aiden O'Neill (New York City) and American forward Florian Balloung (AS Monaco) assisted referee Zwayer. In particular, O'Neill tried to relieve the cramp by lifting Zwayer's leg and stretching his calf.

Assistant referee Katia Garcia, who was outside the line, hurriedly entered the field and handed over a drink. Additionally, she warmed up in preparation for the next situation in case referee Zwayer was unable to continue officiating the match. Fortunately, after receiving help from the players, referee Zwayer stood up again and proceeded with the remaining stoppage time without any issues.

The British Guardian reported on this scene, stating, "It was not only the players who struggled due to the hot weather. Referee Zwayer collapsed from a leg cramp, and O'Neill and Balloung helped by stretching his calf."

The British Sun also highlighted the incident, saying, "Balloung tried to relieve Zwayer's pain by helping him stretch. O'Neill also immediately rushed over to offer help when an unusual situation occurred."

The British Times also explained, "The assistant referee ran onto the field holding an energy drink. Referee Zwayer welcomed it warmly."

German referee Zwayer made his World Cup debut in this match. Although he has previously officiated major stages such as the German Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, this was his first time on the World Cup final stage. It was a meaningful debut match that also included an unfortunate incident of a leg cramp.

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*This content was translated by AI.