The soccer world was shocked last weekend when Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest during the first half of an FA Cup match televised nationally in the United Kingdom by ESPN against Tottenham. Reports now suggest Muamba's heart stopped for more than an hour and he was essentially dead before having his heart restarted at a London hospital. Muamba faces a long road back, but thankfully his story has not had a tragic conclusion.

One positive that did come out of such a frightening experience was the incredible outpouring of support from around the world for Muamba's plight. Within minutes of the news last Saturday, a "#prayformuamba" trend started on Twitter, and ever since Bolton and Muamba's family have gone out of their way to express their appreciation for every word of encouragement in the last several days.


On Saturday, Bolton returned to action in an English Premier League match against Blackburn, pulling out a 2-1 victory covered beautifully by ESPN Soccernet.
<a href='http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=5f282233-7987-4222-bc44-adb7af582a27&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='PL Highlights: Bolton/Blackburn' >Video: PL Highlights: Bolton/Blackburn</a>

Soccer gets a lot of grief from the rest of the sports world for its level of fanaticism and some of the worst aspects of human behavior on display - and sometimes rightfully so.

But the way the soccer world reacted to Muamba's situation is a glowing example of putting its best foot forward.

- Chris Lillstrung