Stanford's Macario says she'll miss Women's World Cup
One of the top women's soccer players in the world won't be healthy enough to play for the United States at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Stanford alum Catarina Macario announced on Tuesday that she “won't be physically ready” in time for the World Cup, which is taking place in Australia and New Zealand starting in mid-July.
Macario tore her ACL last year while playing for her French club team Lyon. While she has been training to try and get back on the pitch ahead of the end of the global club season this month, she appears unlikely to do so — and is now out of the World Cup.
“The desire to return to play for my club and country has driven my training and fueled my everyday life,” Macario wrote on social media posts. “However, what's most important right now is my health and getting fit for my next club season.”
Macario expressed gratitude to U.S. soccer and women's national team coach Vlatko Andonovski for “prioritizing my long-term health over any individual and collective ambitions.”
Macario is considered one of the best women's footballers in the world, having scored eight goals in 17 career appearances for the U.S. women's national team and scoring 22 goals in 33 matches for Lyon in her last full professional season. Her ability to play in both the midfield and up as a forward would have been invaluable for the U.S. in this summer's World Cup.
Instead, the U.S. will proceed without Macario and without star forward Mallory Swanson (formerly Pugh), who tore her patella tendon last month. It's why Julie Ertz has seemingly become a lock to make the team, even as the midfielder is just returning to the field from an extended absence due to injury and pregnancy.
Could Ertz or Macario potentially be the first big signing for the new NWSL team in the Bay Area? Currently on a one-year deal with Angel City FC, Ertz is an alum of Santa Clara, which four of the new owners for the Bay Area's team all attended, and would be a big-name player for the new team.
Macario could also be a massive signing locally — though it appears less likely to happen, even as speculation over the future of her club career has heated up. The Athletic reported last week that the 23-year-old is set to sign with Chelsea this summer, when her contract with Lyon expires, and the young superstar will surely want to be on the pitch in competitive matches as soon as possible rather than waiting until the spring of 2024.
Still, Macario played at Stanford for three seasons and helped the Cardinal win two national championships, in 2017 and 2019. She even finished her degree at Stanford remotely, graduating in 2021.
— Alex Simon
QUAKES' COWELL HELPS U.S. BEAT FIJI
>> The United States moved closer to reaching the knockout stage at the Under-20 World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Fiji in Argentina that included a goal from Cade Cowell of the San Jose Earthquakes.
With Fiji sitting back in defense in San Juan, the Americans didn't score until the 66th minute when Diego Luna curled in a shot from the edge of the box. Cowell doubled the lead with a similar strike in the 88th before Caleb Wiley sealed it with a stoppage-time tap-in.
The United States has six points after two victories in Group B and will advance if Ecuador fails to beat Slovakia later. The U.S. will face Slovakia and Ecuador will take on Fiji in the last of the group games.
The top two teams of each group and the four best third-place teams at the 24-team tournament will advance to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Argentina secured its spot in the knockout stage with a convincing 3-0 win over Guatemala.
Women's golf
WAKE FOREST BEATS DEFENDING CHAMPION STANFORD >> Brianna Navarrosa beat the world's top-ranked amateur, Rose Zhang, and USC knocked off reigning champion Stanford 3-1 in the NCAA women's golf semifinals.
Zhang capped off one of the greatest runs in NCAA history on Monday, becoming the first woman to win multiple national championships in golf with her second straight individual title. The sophomore who turns 20 today matched former Arizona golfer and LPGA Hall of Famer Lorena Ochoa's records of eight wins in a season and 12 for her career.
Zhang also won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April.
But Zhang and Stanford ran into trouble in the semifinals against USC. Christine Wang beat Brooke Seay 2 and 1 and Cindy Kou beat Stanford's Megha Ganne by the same score. Freshman Kelly Xu got Stanford on the board with a 2-and-1 win over national co-runner-up Catherine Park.
With Sadie Englemann 2 up through 16 holes against Amari Avery, Stanford needed Zhang to rally from a 2-down deficit over the final four holes at Grayhawk Golf Club.
Navarrosa didn't give the individual champion a chance, dropping a birdie putt after Zhang hit it close on the par-3 16th and closing out her 2 and 1 victory with a par on 17.
Stanford beat Pepperdine 3-1 in the quarterfinals Tuesday morning and USC beat South Carolina by the same score.
In the other semifinal, Wake Forest beat Texas A&M 3-0 to earn a trip to the national final.
WNBA
THOMAS' DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADS SUN PAST MYSTICS >> Alyssa Thomas had 22 points and 10 rebounds while DeWanna Bonner added 15 points to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 88-81.
All five starters for Connecticut (30) scored in double figures. Tiffany Hayes and Natisha Hiedeman each scored 13 points and Brionna Jones finished with 12.
All five starters for Connecticut (3-0) scored in double figures. Hayes and Natisha Hiedeman each scored 13 points and Jones finished with 12.
Elena Delle Donne led Washington (1-2) with 27 points. Brittney Sykes added 17 and Shakira Austin had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Men's hockey
U.S. BEATS SWEDEN IN OT AT WORLDS >> Dylan Samberg scored in overtime and the United States beat Sweden 4-3 to finish the group stage with a perfect record at the ice hockey world championship in Finland.
Samberg's winner from the slot 1:37 into overtime clinched first place for the United States in Group A, two points in front of Sweden, ahead of Thursday's quarterfinal games.
The Americans lead 3-1 in the third period but Leo Carlsson scored his second goal before Timothy Liljegren equalized with 2:31 left to force overtime.
Ex-Shark Nick Bonino and Conor Garland had answered Carlsson's opener with power play goals and Lane Hutson stretched the advantage to 3-1 on a breakaway.
The United States will play the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Sweden faces co-host Latvia, which reached the quarterfinals by beating Switzerland 4-3 in overtime.
In the Latvia's capital of Riga, Canada defeated the Czechs 3-1 to finish second in Group B.