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United States women’s national team forward Catarina Macario will not be available for World Cup selection this summer, she said in a statement on Tuesday. She announced on her social media that she will not be “physically ready” ahead of the final USWNT World Cup roster selection. The 23-year-old suffered a torn ACL last June, has gone through rehab, and while she has been preparing to return, she has not played with her current club team Olympique Lyon.
“While I’m excited and 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.”
“The desire to return to play for my club and country has driven my training and fueled my everyday life. However, what’s most important right now is my health and getting fit and ready for my next club season.”
When injuries spoil the vision
Macario’s ACL injury last June came shortly after she became the first American to score in a UEFA women’s Champions League final. She aided Lyon in a 3-1 victory over FC Barcelona to claim Lyon’s eighth UWCL title and was the club’s top goal scorer with 23 goals in the same year. However, she tore her ACL just 13 minutes into Lyon’s final league match of the season, a lopsided 4-0 win against Issy.
The injury has kept her out of key build-up to the World Cup, including the Concacaf W Championship, which the USWNT won, qualifying them for both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympic games. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski and the coaching staff were clearly setting the script for an attacking team that centered around Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Macario. With the idea to have veteran players more as supporting pieces with their experience to fill the gaps when needed during specific in-game scenarios.
Andonovski confirmed in postgame comments during the team’s April international window against Ireland, that they would’ve been…
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