Macario will miss the Olympics due to irritation in his right knee, Williams must intervene

Striker Catarina Macário will not be able to play in the Olympics because of right knee irritation, U.S. coach Emma Hayes said Friday.

Macário will be replaced in List of 18 players for France by alternate Lynn Williams, pending approval from the US Olympic Committee, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.

Defender Emily Sams is expected to join the team’s roster as a substitute in Williams’ place.

“Destroyed to have to withdraw from the Olympic squad and not be able to represent Team USA. I will be supporting the team every step of the way and the girls are ready,” she said. Macário wrote in a post on social media.

Hayes said Macario’s injury is not a long-term problem, but she will not be able 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. national team in March after a long layoff due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. She was injured during a match for Lyon, her then club, and has not played for the national team since 2022.

Hayes, speaking to reporters ahead of the farewell match against Mexico on Saturday, insisted that nothing changes in the team except some “different permutations”.

“For us, it’s now about looking at this and making sure everyone knows what those adjustments might be,” Hayes said. “I will say that I am absolutely devastated for Cat.”

Born in Brazil, Macario and her family moved to the United States when she was 12 years old. She became a US citizen in 2020.

Macario won the MAC Hermann Trophy for the nation’s best football player twice while at Stanford. She decided to forgo last season to turn pro. She currently plays for Chelsea.

Williams, who plays for Gotham FC, is the National Women’s Soccer League’s all-time leading scorer and has played for the United States at the Tokyo Games and the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Williams played 63 matches for the national team, with 18 goals and 12 assists.

Sams, who plays for the Orlando Pride, will also be added to the lineup for Saturday’s match against Mexico at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. The United States also faces Costa Rica in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday before heading to the Olympics.

___

AP Olympics