United States women's national team and Lyon star Catarina Macario has revealed a "devastating" ACL injury that will keep her out of summer competition with her nation.
Macario just won the Women's Champions League and Division 1 Feminine with her club and had hoped to participate in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship, which will take place next month.
Her rapid development is now on hold, though, as the 22-year-old must begin a difficult rehab process.
How did Macario react to her injury?
The UWCL final scorer and Division 1 Feminine Player of the Year nominee posted a message to fans on social media revealing her setback and describing her emotions.
"Unfortunately, injuries are a natural part of football," Macario wrote. "Tearing an ACL is never easy, and although I am devastated to be away from the field and my teammates for a few months, I could not be more proud of my first year as a professional footballer and to have helped the team reconquer two big titles this season.
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"As challenging as the recovery process may be, I believe that God is in control of everything, so I have no doubt that with the right support system, patience, and hard work, I will be back better and hungrier than ever before."
The bigger picture
After the USWNT slumped to Bronze in the 2021 Olympics, the squad is eager to get back on track this summer and is savoring a potential rematch with the Canada side that won Gold in Tokyo.
Macario is seen as one of the USWNT's fresh faces who could lead the next generation of international success for the country, and while this injury will delay her progress, she will likely be back competing in major tournaments upon the completion of her rehab.
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