By ANNE M. PETERSON
Forward Catarina Macario, a former Stanford star, won’t be able to play at the Olympics because of irritation in her right knee, U.S. coach Emma Hayes said Friday.
Macario will be replaced on the 18-player roster for France by alternate Lynn Williams, pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.
Defender Emily Sams is set to join the team’s roster as an alternate in Williams’ place.
“Gutted to have to withdraw from the Olympic roster and not be able to represent Team USA. I will be supporting the team every step of the way and the girls are ready,” Macario wrote in a social media post.
Hayes said Macario’s injury is not a long-term issue, but she’ll be unable to return in time for the Olympics. The United States opens the tournament on July 25 against Zambia in Nice.
Macario returned to the U.S. team in March after a long layoff for a torn ACL. She was injured during a match with her then-club team Lyon and had not played for the national team since 2022.
Hayes, speaking to reporters ahead of a send-off match against Mexico on Saturday, insisted that nothing changes with the team except for some “different permutations.”
“For us, it’s about now looking towards that and making sure that everybody else knows what those adjustments might be,” Hayes said. “I will say, I’m absolutely gutted for Cat.”
Born in Brazil, Macario and her family moved to the United States when she was 12. She became a U.S. citizen in 2020.
Macario won the MAC Hermann Trophy for the nation’s best soccer player twice while at Stanford. She decided to forgo her senior season to turn professional. She currently plays for Chelsea.
Williams, who plays for Gotham FC, is the all-time career goal scorer in the National Women’s Soccer League and played for the United States at the Tokyo Games and at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Williams has played in 63 games for the national team with 18 goals and 12 assists.
Sams, who plays for the Orlando Pride, will also be added to the game roster for Saturday’s match against Mexico at New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena. The United States also plays Costa Rica in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday before leaving for the Olympics.
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AP Olympics https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
