Two players that the United States desperately missed during the 2023 Women’s World Cup are back in national team camp, with Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario both returning for the SheBelieves Cup after long injury recoveries.
Swanson suffered a torn patellar tendon on April 8, 2023 in a national team game against the Republic of Ireland in Austin, Texas. Macario tore her ACL on June 1, 2022 while playing for her now-former club, Lyon. Macario’s last appearance for the USWNT was in a friendly against Uzbekistan on April 12, 2022 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
“I think the first thing that comes to my mind is just being grateful,” Swanson said about her return. “One thing that I learned throughout my injury was that you can’t ever take life for granted. You can’t take your health for granted.”
Both players ended up missing the World Cup. Their absences were a huge blow to the USWNT’s chances as they both played critical roles in the starting XI, and their return could be key for the USWNT’s Olympic hopes.
Swanson said that there was a moment after her first surgery that she thought she might still make it back in time for the World Cup. “I remember texting my surgeon and being like ‘How long is this recovery,’ and he was like ‘Six months,’ and I was…
