Though the research isn’t there yet, Michael Goodman tallies the anecdotal evidence that soccer may have the same head injury problem as American football:
There’s the first incidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) to be found in a former soccer player. While CTE can only be conclusively diagnosed posthumously — and has been in an increasing number of former NFL players — a number of the living have also been diagnosed with signs of the disease. Then there’s former U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who underwent surgery to relieve migraines stemming from concussions. Or the recent FIFPro study showing that among retired players “mental illness seems to occur among former professional footballers more often than in current players and more often than in other populations.
Consequently, mental illness among former professional footballers cannot be underestimated and should be a subject of interest for all stakeholders in football.” There’s the case of Eddie Johnson (the British one, not the American one), who is suing the Portland Timbers over allegedly allowing him to practice with concussion-like symptoms. And there’s a study on the disturbingly high number concussions in girls’ youth soccer. The list goes on.
The Dish previously looked at concussions in sports other than football here.
The Dish 