Catarina Macario didn’t take much time to storm back into the spotlight. The talented forward announced her return to the USWNT lineup with a bang, finding the back of the net after 3 years in today’s SheBelieves Cup opener against Colombia. While fans would be impressed to see the Chelsea star finally being able to find her goal-scoring ways back, for Macario, it feels like a ‘big weight’ has finally been lifted off her shoulders.

In the post-match presser, the 25-year-old became quite emotional while sharing her thoughts on breaking her deadlock. “Oh my gosh, that was surreal,” Catarina began while speaking to TNT Sports desk including ex-USWNT stars Shannon Box, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Julie Foudy as well as renowned sports broadcaster Sara Walsh.

“Seriously, I just felt it was a big weight off my shoulders. Just so happy, so thrilled to be scoring for the national team again, to be playing again. I’m still working on my fitness, obviously, but, yeah, just to be having fun really. It just means the whole world. I’m so happy and I hope to keep getting better and better.”

Notably, a 36-minute strike helped Cat break not just her own deadlock but also the Stars and Stripes, giving a perfect lead to Emma Hayes and Co. The rest of the credit for the win goes to Ally Sentnor for scoring her debut goal. And mind you, it was no ordinary strike. Sentnor struck a perfect long-range effort, leaving the whole Shell Energy Stadium stunned.

Remarkably, with the way Catarina was playing, she could have added more to the scoresheet. Then again, a single goal was enough to make a statement—she’s not just back; she never truly left. Additionally, this performance also makes up for all the time she lost during her absence on the pitch.

To remind you, Macario faced persistent knee issues, keeping her sidelined throughout the year. That, unfortunately, had seen the former Lyon star even miss out on winning gold at the 2024 Olympics, even though she was selected for the tournament in the first place. In fact, the last time Catarina played for the USWNT was on June 1, 2024. She did, however, featured in the previous edition of the SheBelieves Cup.

Meanwhile, ever since the forward made her return from the prolonged injury, she has regained form with Chelsea. The São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil-born has also recorded five goals and two assists across 13 matches this season, including five starts. Either way, Macario is on a path to regain her form. In fact, if it stays that way, there’s no stopping her from potentially replacing the modern iconic trio of the USWNT.

Catarina Macario might just be the fourth espresso shot for the USWNT!

Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson are mostly the chosen ones when it comes to fielding the best attacking trio for the USWNT. After all, these three were quite something during the summer games. But either of these stars had to remain unavailable at Hayes’ disposal. While Rodman continues her recovery process as she rehabs from a back injury, Swanson is unavailable due to personal matters, with Smith yet to reach full fitness for the competition.

In the meantime, Catarina Macario is among the names that have been called to showcase what they’ve got. Heck, not just Cat; players like Aly Sentnor and Yazmeen Ryan can try becoming regulars on the national team. Hence, performing well in this three-game tournament is one way to do so. If everything goes well as planned, then it will certainly leave the regulars a bit concerned about their starting place.

Yet, the good thing is that the USWNT and, more importantly, Emma will have considerable options to choose from. For now, let’s see how Macario keeps up this pace.