da bet nacional： After two years away, the superstar Chelsea forward is finally back to reclaim her place ahead of this summer's tournament

da aviator aposta： The world has seen plenty of Catarina Macario over the last few years. They've seen her highs and her lows. They've seen her rise through the ranks at Stanford and become a U.S. women's national team star. In some ways, the world has seen Macario grow up.

One thing Macario did not want the world to see, though, were her tears. They'd seen plenty of other emotions from her, but the last thing she wanted everyone to see was her crying.

She wanted to, though, when she entered the field for Chelsea on March 3. By coming on in a clash with Leicester City, Macario finally ended 641 days of injury hell. It's a long time out, so you can't blame her for holding back the tears when she finally got that moment.

"It just really felt like a dream," she said. "It just felt surreal. Looking back at the 641 days, it kind of just all happened in the blink of an eye if that makes sense, and then it's like 'Oh, okay, so we're playing now'. I felt like crying but, at the same time, like not because, well, first of all, I'm in public!"

It's been about a month since that return and, at least for this week, Macario's focus has shifted. She's back with the USWNT, and at the perfect time, too. The Olympics are coming, after all.

GettyMissing the World Cup

The nightmare began all the way back in 2022.

It was Lyon's final game of the 2021-22 season, a 4-0 domination of Issy on June 1 of that year. The league was already in the bag. They'd won it three days earlier by beating Paris Saint-Germain. It was time to celebrate the season with one more big performance. Macario lasted just 13 minutes. She was stretchered off, later confirming the worst a few days later: a torn ACL.

So much has happened since. Macario switched clubs, joining Chelsea this past summer. She missed dozens of games for club and country. Most notably, though, she missed the World Cup. It's hard not to wonder what could have been. What would the USWNT have looked like with a creator like Macario on the field?

Ultimately, she wasn't there, and the U.S. fell short. Their Round of 16 elimination at the hands of Sweden was their worst-ever World Cup finish. Macario could only watch on helplessly.

"You need to take things into perspective," Macario said, "and I feel like everything works out for a reason. I think the way that I've been able to cope has just been really leaning on my support system, like my friends and family. They've come and visited me, and that helped a lot. It was actually quite sunny over the summer in London, which helped a lot! It felt like it was a little bit back home in San Diego or Brazil!

"It's just trying to focus on the little bit of things that I could control. Obviously, it did take a lot longer than I expected, which was devastating. The most important thing is that now I'm back and I hope that I can contribute to the team as much as possible."

AdvertisementChelsea FCLife in London

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Yes, even two years of injury rehab. Macario's long layoff offered her the opportunity to do something she hadn't really gotten to do in the few years prior: breathe.

This past summer was nice. Having moved to London to join Chelsea in June, Macario was given some time to settle in. Not through choice, of course. She'd much rather have been playing from the start. But, when you can't play and you're alone in a big new city, it is quite tempting to explore.

"What I've been able to enjoy the most is that, when I got there, obviously I wasn't playing so I got to experience London a little bit as a tourist," she said. "That was like, really fun. I had a lot of friends and family come visit me which definitely made the time go by faster. I just got to explore the city a little bit, go to a few like jazz clubs or like comedy clubs or just see a few musicals, which are things that I love. That's what Cat the person likes to do. That was something that I found really fun and entertaining and it just has made me very happy."

When asked about those musicals, Macario admitted that she's seen Hamilton twice. "Highly recommend," she says. Lion King, Les Miserables and Matilda are also among her favorites.

But tourist time is over. Macario is now solely focused on recreating herself on the field.

GettyA long-awaited return

Macario begins by giving all credit to Chelsea. How many clubs would sign a player dealing with an ACL tear? How many clubs would give her the grace and resources to recover in a way that's best for her, not the club?

She's only just gotten there, but Macario already feels pretty at home in Chelsea blue.

Macario scored in that first match back in March, announcing to the rest of the world that she was ready to go. She then came off the bench to score the winner in a 1-0 FA Cup win over Everton. And then, in the Champions League, Macario provided a fine assist to continue her comeback.

"I obviously knew that I had been working towards that for a while, " she began, "but I think probably the biggest thing was just getting over that mental hurdle that was like, 'Okay, I'm good to play again, I got this'. You just have to rip off the band-aid, I guess. It all just really felt surreal, and to have
scored, I was not expecting that at all! I was just like, 'Well, I'm just happy to be on the pitch again and to be with my teammates', and then when that happens, I'm like, 'Oh, my God!'

"That's kind of how I feel for the national team as well. Obviously it's a it's a huge honor to represent the U.S. and to wear the jersey. I feel like I'm just grateful, above everything, just to be here again. I just hope to do well and to make a good impact."

GettyBig USWNT stars back in the fold

The SheBelieves Cup is massive for the USWNT. Not only is it crucial for Olympic prep. Not only is there a trophy on the line. It's also the return of two USWNT stars – both of whom could start at the Olympics this summer.

Macario is one, of course. There's a chance she steps right into the XI to provide that creative spark the U.S. lacked at the World Cup. Macario could have been the team's secret weapon last summer, and she still could be this summer.

The USWNT attack is stacked. Some combination of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan will likely be the starters. Could Macario get in? Possibly… perhaps as a No.10 ahead of two holding midfielders or perhaps in one of those wider spots as a playmaking winger. Macario's ability to make things happen could be vital to a U.S. team that lacked that ability this past summer.

The other returnee could be huge, too. Mal Swanson is back as well, one year after her own devastating injury. Just months before the World Cup, the winger tore the patellar tendon in her left knee, knocking her out for the past 12 months.

She recently returned herself, scoring for the Chicago Red Stars. Swanson is another player that could be massive for the USWNT attack. She very well could come for one of those wing spots, reclaiming what was lost when she went down a year ago.

"There are no words to describe how good Mal is," Macario said. "Honestly, she makes us so much better. She's the type of player that you always want to play with. Even though I got injured a little bit before her, I was just absolutely gutted for her because she was really in the form of her life leading up to the World Cup, and I have no doubt that she'll get there again.

"We'll hopefully be slicing and dicing the competition again soon."