Catarina Macario out of World Cup
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, May 24, 2023
The 23-year-old forward made the announcement on Tuesday.
God’s plan. I will be back pic.twitter.com/JNMsl2RbMz
— Catarina Macario (@catarinamacario) May 23, 2023
Macario, 23, missed the 2022 Concacaf W Championship and the entire 2022-23 season with Lyon after tearing her ACL in the French giant's final D1 Arkema match of the 2021-22 season last June.
Her absence will leave the USWNT without arguably its two most dangerous all-around attackers at the World Cup. Mallory Swanson suffered a torn patella tendon in a match against Ireland in April.
In April, Coach Vlatko Andonovski said he would have "to see her on the field” before making any decision about Macario's selection to the U.S. World Cup team.
Lyon clinched the 2023 D1 Arkema title on Sunday and beat Paris St. Germain in the Coupe de France. Its UEFA Champions League title defense ended with a loss to Chelsea on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals. Its final game of the 2022-23 season is on Sunday against Reims.
The Brazilian-born Macario led Stanford to two national championships and won the MAC Hermann Trophy in both 2018 and 2019. She turned pro in 2021, spurning the NWSL to sign with Lyon after giving up her final year of college eligibility.
Macario was an alternate selection on the U.S. Olympic team but went to the Tokyo Olympics when FIFA expanded the rosters from 18 to 22 players due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She played only seven minutes at the Olympics but quickly emerged as the key attacker on the U.S. national team in early 2022, scoring five goals in five games and being named the MVP of the SheBelieves Cup.
Macario scored 23 goals in 34 games in her first full season at Lyon and led it to its record eighth UEFA Champions League title and its 15th French league title in 16 seasons.
She finished ninth in the balloting for the 2022 Ballon d'Or, the highest ranking of the three Americans nominated for the award, considered the most prestigious award in soccer. Alex Morgan finished 13th and Trinity Rodman was 18th among the 20 players on the short list.
Macario is one of five players on the 2022 Ballon d'Or short who have suffered ACL knee injuries in the last year. The repeat winner, Alexia Putellas, has returned to action in Spain. Beth Mead, the 2022 runner-up, is uncertain for the World Cup, as is French star Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Dutch star Vivianne Miedema, Mead's partner, has ruled herself out of the World Cup.
Also out of the World Cup: England captain Leah Williamson, who just had surgery following the ACL injury she suffered a month ago.
Now we get to see what Vlatko can really do, now that the Nats primary goal-scorer is out and our Brazilian midfield magician is still recovering from injury. World Cup gonna look different this year.
I hope she gets this behind her and she comes back stronger than ever. Marcario is going to be missed this time around.
Macario, say it aint so. We cannot loose the best player on the team.
Not only is Catarina the most creative and dangerous she makes those around her better. BIG loss!
Ouch .. we gonna be Back to WINNING UGLY.!!!
JUST WIN BABY, WIN.!!!