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Catarina Macario to miss USWNT’s involvement at Women’s World Cup

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The U.S. women’s national team remains favorites to lift a third-consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup crown this summer, but Vlatko Andonovski will be without one of his rising talents in the final third.

Catarina Macario announced that she will not be fit in time for the Women’s World Cup, which is slated to begin on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Macario, 23, has just recently returned to club training with French side Lyon after being sidelined for almost one year following a torn ACL.

“While I’m excited and super optimistic about my future as a footballer, I’m sad to share that I won’t be physically ready for selection to our U.S. World Cup team,” Macario posted on social media. “The desire to return to play for my country has driven my training and fueled my everyday life. However, what’s most important right now is my mental health and getting fit and ready for my next club season.

“I am eternally grateful to Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for always supporting me and guiding me in my rehab,” Macario added. “And to U.S. Soccer and Vlatko Andonovski for prioritizing my long-term health over any individual and collective ambitions. I’ll be cheering hard for my teammates at the World Cup, and I look forward to dedicating myself to fight to earn a spot for what I hope will be a long future on the U.S. national team.”

Macario has totaled eight goals and two assists in 17 appearances for the USWNT to date. She was named the MVP of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup in February after scoring two goals in the Americans’ final match against Iceland.

At club level, Macario has totaled 28 goals and five assists in 38 combined appearances for Lyon, who recently clinched a second-consecutive Division 1 Féminine title.

Her absence in the USWNT squad is another major blow for Andonovski to consider, following Mallory Swanson’s patella tendon injury in April.

Comments

  1. This is really sad. I used to watch a lot of Stanford games and so I saw a lot of national team players, including watching Kelly O’Hara and then Christen Press break the school scoring record and Sophia Smith break into the team as a freshman. But Macario was the only player I watched and immediately thought, “whoa, she is an international-level super star.”

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