The pop sounded like a gunshot.
Savannah DeMelo covered her ears and took in her surroundings. She realized she hadn’t been kicked but knew something was seriously wrong as she fell to the ground and called for the trainer.
It was USC soccer’s final training day of the 2019 spring semester. Now, with an Achilles injury, DeMelo’s fall season was over before it started, and her chances at a professional soccer career were suddenly unclear.
DeMelo was a late bloomer in the soccer world, entering the sport as an 8-year-old after trying her hand at gymnastics. On the ride home from her first soccer practice, she said to her grandmother, “I’m quitting gymnastics today. I want to play soccer.”
This was a dream come true for her father, Robert, who played the game for 20 years in Portugal. He started training Savannah on the side and eventually took on an assistant coaching role for her club team, Beach FC, in Long Beach.
“It brought us together even more,” Robert said. “We’ve spent so much time on the soccer field, in front of the goal, we’ve had arguments. I’d push her a little bit too hard sometimes, but then after it was all good. We have a special bonding, and I have to thank soccer for that.”
Savannah quickly excelled, moving up to older teams, attracting college scouts and earning a spot on the United States Youth National Team when she was 14. She competed for the U-20 National Team in the 2016 World Cup and delayed enrollment at USC for another World Cup bid in 2018.
In her first two seasons at USC, DeMelo started all but two games and was named to the All-Pac-12 first team both years. Though she didn’t lead the team in scoring, her coach and teammates say her playmaking ability as a midfielder is unmatched.
“When she beats players, she has the ability to really lower herself and turn corners in a way that defies the normal body’s ability,” USC head coach Keidane McAlpine said. “Nobody can do that, but that’s just what she does.”
After two World Cups and two years at USC, DeMelo has become somewhat of a household name in the Portuguese community of Artesia, California, near her hometown of Bellflower. A giant portrait of her is posted next to that of Portuguese soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo in the Artesia D.E.S. hall, which hosts community gatherings and events. Her photo is also on a screen at the McDonald’s in Lakewood, California, which recognizes the city’s best athlete each year.
Though she’s rising in the soccer world, Savannah “is the most humble kid you’ll ever meet,” Robert says. She won’t wear her free U.S. soccer gear around her teammates — showing off isn’t her style.
So when Savannah tore her Achilles in April 2019, she didn’t want the team to be bogged down by her absence in the fall. Instead, she rehabbed on the side and attended training sessions and away matches, supporting her teammates in a coaching role.
“She was great for our players in helping us win games, providing a calming personality and being a good educator,” McAlpine said. “I also think it helped her get through it mentally.”
Savannah’s supportive nature extends into her family life. She’s not interested in fishing but consistently makes plans to accompany her father on the water. When her 13-year-old sister Skylar suffered a concussion last fall, Savannah was the first to show concern. On her World Cup trips, she’d text her family constant updates no matter how busy she became.
“She won’t ignore anyone or make anybody wait,” Robert said. “She’ll be right there.”
The injury gave Savannah another year of eligibility, which she is putting toward a master’s degree in Public Health. And with the time off from group practices due to COVID-19, she completed a virtual internship at a medical facility. It’s all part of her goal of being a nurse practitioner whenever her soccer career is over.
DeMelo hopes that’s far into the future, though. After her final college season in fall 2021, she hopes to play professionally and earn a spot on the top U.S. women’s national team.
The injury came at an inopportune time: Savannah had just attended a U23 National Team camp, and McAlpine had heard she was “exceptional.” Robert scrolled through Google after hearing the news and couldn’t help but be dismayed by stories of athletes who never returned to full form after an Achilles injury.
McAlpine said Savannah maintained a positive outlook despite the uncertainty.
“She said ‘All right. It’s already happened. I’m going to get better and come back better.’”
Robert was most concerned about Savannah’s cutting ability after the injury. It’s a big part of her game and is also heavily dependent on a healthy Achilles. But she “hasn’t missed a beat.”
She’s at full strength and ready to compete when the Trojans host BYU Monday afternoon.
Junior forward Penelope Hocking is excited to be able to play off of DeMelo again.
“She’s the most consistent player I’ve ever played with,” Hocking said. “It will be really good for us to have an experienced player, someone that’s really calm and can get us out of anything.”
“I’m excited for people to truly appreciate how good she is and for her to reach another level,” McAlpine added. “If injuries do nothing else for you, they remind you how much you miss the game. You can see a renewed energy and life about her now.”