Ex-Sporting KC player had CTE, first for MLS
Researchers have diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a Major League Soccer player for the first time, saying Tuesday that former Sporting Kansas City defender Scott Vermillion suffered from the degenerative brain disease.
The Boston University CTE Center said Vermillion, who died of an accidental drug overdose in December 2020 at the age of 44, had CTE. Although it is not possible to connect any individual case to a cause, the disease has been linked to repeated blows to the head.
CTE has been found in more than 100 former NFL players as well as semipro and high school soccer players. Vermillion is the first from MLS.
“Mr. Vermillion has shown us that soccer players are at risk for CTE,” said Dr. Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE Center. “We need to make every effort to identify players who are suffering and provide them compassionate care and appropriate medical support.”
Vermillion began playing soccer at the age of 5 and continued for 22 years, culminating in four MLS seasons for D.C. United, the Colorado Rapids and Sporting KC. He also played for the United States at the 1993 Under-17 World Championship and made some appearances for the Under-20 team in 1996.
After retiring in 2001 with an ankle injury, his family said, he became depressed and had problems with impulse control and aggression. Eventually, he suffered from memory loss and developed a substance abuse problem.
All have been associated with CTE, which has been linked to concussions or subconcussive blows in athletes, combat veterans and others who sustain repeated head trauma.
The MLS Players Association called upon the league to break with the sport’s international governing bodies and adopt a rule expanding substitutions to allow for players with concussions.
• Mexico will play a pair of World Cup warmups in September but is likely to be missing its Europeanbased players because the matches are not on FIFA international fixture dates.
No. 12 Mexico said Tuesday it will play 21st-ranked Peru on Sept. 24 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and No. 17 Colombia three days later at Santa Clara. It also announced a Nov. 16 exhibition against 20th-ranked Sweden at Girona, Spain.