Catarina Macario is just 26-years-old and has already experienced the darkest side of the game.
From 2022 to 2024, Macario was essentially out of commission, enduring a series of disappointments - tearing her ACL in 2022, missing the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and then forced to withdraw from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Up to that point, the Brazilian-American was living the American dream - Stanford education, contract with one of the world's best clubs, Chelsea Women, and a spot on the U.S. women's national team. Then, an ACL tear brought everything to a halt.
She endured a long and grueling recovery, followed by a persistent knee injury that then kept her out for another year. It was two years of physical therapy, building her game back up from scratch, regaining her fitness, and ultimately re-establishing her impact.
"I'm still picking up form, but I think I just am trying to have fun," she said after the recent USWNT camp. " I try to remember and think of the little girl that used to play."
The USWNT and Chelsea have welcomed Macario back with open arms. And measured by her performance for both club and country, she's back.
But then again, she is very much just getting started.
