Vlatko Andonovski clarifies Catarina Macario’s USWNT role

United States women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski clarified Catarina Macario’s role within the team as the World Cup approaches, explaining“we have to see her on the field” before making any decisions about a final roster. 

Macario has been absent from recent USWNT camps due to injury. The player suffered a broken ACL during Lyon’s final Division 1 Féminine match of the 2021-22 season, and has not played since. Though she has since returned to training, and was expected to be cleared by the French side for March matches, Macario continually fails to make the bench. 

“First, we need to see performance. We have to see her on the field… Cat has to get back in a professional environment, play professional games, competitive games, games that matter,” said Andonovski when asked if missing this last pre-World Cup camp would cost her a place on the World Cup roster. 

“We all know that Cat has the potential to be one of the best players in the world. We could all see that a year ago, but we don’t know how good she is right now. Nobody does, until we get a chance to evaluate that, we can’t make any decisions about her. If she proves that she can be in this environment, and we believe she can help us win a World Cup, then she can [be considered].”

For Andonovski, the line is clear: World Cup-bound players must be featuring regularly for their respective clubs. The logic applies to Julie Ertz, Alyssa Thompson and Macario specifically, after seeing an inconsistent road ahead of the World Cup. 

The USWNT are currently entering their final window of friendlies ahead of the international tournament, facing the Republic of Ireland twice.  

“It’s exciting to get the group back together and we’re getting closer to how we want to look this summer,” said Andonovski.

“The team is gelling and getting these players back in camp, all who know the environment very well, is just going to make it more competitive and turn the intensity up a notch. I know there is a lot of pressure on the players as the competition for World Cup spots increases, but that’s not something we shy away from. We talk about it, and we embrace it, as we all know these players make each other better.”

The preparations will serve the USWNT well, as the American team looks to face Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal in the World Cup’s Group E. The American team enters the international tournament as reigning champions, after triumphing 2-0 over the Netherlands in 2019.