Flashback to July 2024. Macario was forced to withdraw from the Olympics due to right knee irritation that prevented her from training fully with the USWNT. It was a perfect storm for Macario, who had been in good enough form to make the senior team roster and sign with Chelsea after a two-year stint prior with Olympique Lyonnais.
After watching the USWNT win gold from afar, and not stepping on the field for her country since June 1, of last year, Macario was called back into the mix by former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. She had been playing again at the club level, helping Chelsea win the 2024 WSL title, scoring two goals and chipping in six assists on the year
Her game had evolved, and especially in her role as a No. 9. Time away from the did have an upside. It allowed Macario to get stronger and - while she had no issues distributing the ball as an effective No. 10 - her ability to hold the ball up, lay off and turn was another level.
When she finally returned for the USWNT, Hayes played her at the No. 9 against Colombia to open up the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. Macario earned the start, and just 33 minutes in, she scored her first goal for the USWNT since 2022.
"That was surreal, seriously," an emotional Macario said after the match. "I just felt like it was a big weight off my shoulders, you know? Just so happy, so thrilled, to be scoring for the national team again, to be playing again... just be having fun, really. It means the whole world.... Definitely not easy - probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
"There were a lot of tears that were shed, a lot of heartbreaks, that’s for sure. A lot of times that I thought I wouldn’t be able to play again. A lot of adversity, and I’m just so thankful to be playing again.”
Macario continued to have an impact throughout the SheBelieves tournament, chipping in a textbook assist against Japan. Hayes was in no rush to push her former Chelsea player, but was clear on one thing - she wanted to see Macario to play like the "old Cat."
“I have a really experienced staff team that have worked together to understand everything from Cat’s medical history," Hayes said, "to time off feet from her last game, and the management of her return, albeit with some bumps in the road, in a carefully managed way.”
The USWNT faced Brazil in a pair of friendlies in April, and Macario was called on as a starter to face her home country for the first time. She was a natural link between Alyssa Thompson and Trinity Rodman. Macario was able to hold the ball up, which allowed for Rodman and Thompson to run loose on the wing - which unlocked a scoring power up top that the USWNT hadn't seen since "Triple Espresso" put on a show in Paris.
"Playing here for the first time and just acknowledging how far I've come and how far we've come as a team," she said, "I think I just try to enjoy the moment, have fun and bring my best to the pitch”
In the USWNT's second meeting against Brazil, the "old Cat" was back, scoring just 34 seconds into the match. That was the seventh-fastest goal in USWNT's history.
For many reasons, that was special. It was her 10th career finish and came at the same stadium in which she played her final collegiate soccer game, leading Stanford to the 2019 NCAA title. Despite the USWNT eventually falling to Brazil meeting, Macario was optimistic about the state of her game.
“Scoring a goal is always great," she said. "Always a happy moment. Personally, I think it just gives me a little bit extra confidence in knowing that I'm doing something right."
