Catarina Macario, a forward for the United States women’s national team, will unfortunately not be able to participate in the Paris Olympics this summer due to a knee injury. This news was shared by coach Emma Hayes, who expressed her disappointment at having to make this decision. Macario’s spot on the team will be taken by Lynn Williams, who was originally listed as an alternate for the Tokyo Games. Additionally, defender ≈ will be joining the team as an alternate player.
Hayes mentioned that Macario is devastated by this turn of events, as she has been working hard to make her comeback after suffering a torn ACL while playing for Lyon in May 2022. This injury kept her out of play for a year and a half, causing her to miss last summer’s World Cup. Despite this setback, Macario made a strong return during the SheBelieves Cup in April, marking her first appearance with the USWNT in over 600 days.
The road to recovery has been a challenging one for Macario, and she had expressed how emotional it was for her to return to the field. She described the experience as feeling like a dream, and highlighted the mental hurdles she had to overcome to feel confident in playing again.
The USWNT is set to kick off their Olympics campaign on July 25 against Zambia, followed by matches against Germany on July 28 and Australia on July 31. While Macario will not be able to compete in the upcoming games, the team will be looking to make a strong showing with their revised lineup.
As fans eagerly await the start of the Olympics, they can stay updated on the latest news and updates from the United States team by following their favorites on social media and other platforms. Despite this setback for Macario, the team remains focused and determined to perform well in the upcoming tournament.