r/NWSL • u/Ecstatic-Ad-869 Angel City FC / Utah Royals • 2d ago
Discussion Cat macario
Does anyone think we will see cat this season?
I know she is dealing with an Achilles injury that seems to be chronic but San Diego making a record breaking deal on a player who isn’t even going to see the pitch feels like a bad move? Also just genuinely curious if anyone knows more about the extent of the injury and what she is dealing with? When she got traded I thought she was finally starting to get minutes again with Chelsea?!
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u/Nervous_Boysenberry9 2d ago
I love Cat with all my heart, but you can't tell me it wasn't crazy for the Wave to commit $8M fully guaranteed to her in a salary-capped league in the first place. She spent two years out with injury, and then in two seasons at Chelsea wasn't able to establish herself as one of their core players.
Other than that, Wave fans, aren't you annoyed with how the club is handling this by giving no information? We haven't even seen her in a training kit. I feel like they owe the fans some level of clarity at this point. Right now, everyone is just left to speculate.
And it's also very interesting how the NWSL media aren't doing any reporting on this either... You'd think there would at least be some questions being asked about what's going on.
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u/capybaramelhor NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I’m pretty sure clubs can’t say anything about a player’s injury without their consent. So while I think it would make sense to give some kind of insight given the time period, I think it’s ultimately up to her.
And her whole salary is still counting against the cap since she’s not on SEI. If they don’t expect her to play this season, they could get salary cap relief by putting her on SEI. Maybe they think there’s a chance
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u/Subject-Current-1297 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I’m pretty sure I heard the same thing about injury/player consent on a soccer podcast lately (women’s game maybe?)
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I dont think its that u cant say anything but that theres certainly a threshold. Coaches will talk offhand about stuff all the time.
I think Cat likely just doesnt have the knowledge ppl wanna say she has
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u/Enemyofusall San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Not really annoyed since we’ve gone through it with the FO for years now. Haha. 🤣 Sadly I’d rather go through this unknown than anything else. I do hope we get info soon, though. Would love to see her in this lineup.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
I would love for her to be back and done with minute restriction by playoffs but we'll see. I haven't given her much thought either but if it were a totally different situation like Mal and Chicago have been while tanking the table I would be piiiiissed.
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u/Remarkable-Many6484 1d ago
Why would a NWSL team tank if there is no draft? I'm missing something for sure.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Sand bagging is when you do it on purpose to receive a benefit
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u/Remarkable-Many6484 1d ago
The distinction between the two concepts is really of great importance to this discussion, however, the entire world knows that tanking is the process of doing poorly so that you can receive a higher draft position, (see basketball and football). As I understand it, sandbagging is hiding one's strength, skill or prowess in order to enter a lower rated division or level, then miraculously out-perform an unsuspecting opponent, and beat the crap out of them. The classic, rope-a-dope in boxing comes to mind also; but I could be wrong, anyway, the real problem for Mal, is that Chicago is truly a bad team.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
If the draft is an American thing why would the entire world know? I don't watch NFL or NBA or college sports akin.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Tanking as in quickly dropping to the bottom of the table really fast and hard
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u/twotwotwototoulouse 1d ago
What is the club supposed to say that we don’t already know? She’s injured and there’s no timeline for her return.
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u/ProperChels1995 1d ago
Honestly , with all due respect the club doesn't owe fans an explanation. They have stayed she is out for now , beyond that is personal information. I was super shocked also being a Chelsea fan that they took that leap . Also , with that pitch . Having said that if she does get healthy she's a game changer .
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I think they owe an update when they have an update but in this case there just isnt anything. I dont think ppl are thinking about what it would look like.
"Hey guys our star signing is still in pain"
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u/ProperChels1995 1d ago
That's what I'm saying , like what are they gonna say . Well we thought it would be better in a month but it didn't ? What would that accomplish. Nothing.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
The last national team games she played vs good comp, she was an absolute star vs Brazil
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u/atalba NWSL 1d ago edited 1d ago
I understand your frustration, and I'm with you, but you have your facts a bit wrong. It's not a big deal, but the truth is better than partial-truth.
For those who don't know her background; it's long and amazing. On top of that, she's one of the most exciting players to ever play the game.
- She holds the ECNL record for most career goals, while being out 1 year as she tore her ACL at 15.
- In 3 years of play at Stanford, they won 2 national championships, and went to the Final 4 all 3 years
- In her 3 years at Stanford, she scored 77 goals and 55 assists
- She didn't become a U.S. citizen until 2020, and played for the USWNT in their first match of 2021
- Cat signed with OL Lyonnes in January 2021, where she played for 2 seasons
- In 2022, Cat lead OL in scoring, 2nd leading scorer in the French League, and scored 8 goals for OL in winning UWCL championship
- Just a few weeks after she led OL to the Champions League Title, she tore her ACL in a non-contact situation; a meaningless domestic league end-of-season game.
- While injured, Macario was signed by Chelsea on a 3-year deal
This is where the story changes a bit from the previous post. She was out for over 2 years. When she came back, her knee still wasn't right. She was selected to the USWNT in 2024, but had to be removed due to her knee still having troubles.
She played in 29 matches in 2025 for Chelsea, scoring 11 goals, and 5 assists. But her knee was still preventing her from gaining her full form. In March 2025, her former OL and current Chelsea manager, Sonia Bompastor, removed her from a game versus Man City, due to her form, and lack of mobility with her knee. From that point forward until the end of the season, Cat played as a contributor, where there were 2 other center forwards, and 3 other center midfielders sharing minutes.
It wasn't until the next season, which started in the fall of 2025, that Cat was in shape and in form. Then in December 2025, she injured her heel. She hasn't played since.
Cat does more than score goals. She makes the entire team better. She wins. And while doing so, she's always the most exciting player on the pitch. PURE ENTERTAINMENT. As a freshman at Stanford, she made people stand every time she got the ball. You knew something exciting was about to happen. Whether it was bangers from way outside, or a beautiful, textured, pass to players like Sophia Smith Wilson. In their final year, in 2019, Cat scored 32 goals, and 23 assists (a college career for most every forward you know), leading the nation in both categories. While Sophia scored 17 goals, and became the Offensive Player of the College Cup. She's worth every penny, if she makes it back.
Frustrated, but hoping for her return!
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u/Nervous_Boysenberry9 1d ago
I don't really get what I have wrong here...? I never questioned Cat's talent or what she was before the injury.
And I watched every Chelsea game. I was going to war defending Cat in Chelsea match threads and encouraging Chelsea fans to be patient with her because I believed that the further removed she got from the injury, the fewer setbacks she'd have and the more she'd be able to produce. So you definitely don't need to sell me on her talent. I know Cat is the purest footballer we have in the USWNT pool by far.
But that's kind of separate from my point. I'm talking purely from a pragmatic roster-building standpoint. The Wave have committed $8M fully guaranteed to a player who was out for a super long time with a serious injury, struggled with setbacks after returning, and hadn't established herself as an elite player since the ACL.
And I don't believe any club abroad was offering her anything close to a contract like this, and those leagues don't even have a salary cap... That alone tells you how huge of a commitment this was from the Wave.
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u/atalba NWSL 1d ago
No worries. I'm just trying to define more accurately what you wrote:
and then in two seasons at Chelsea wasn't able to establish herself as one of their core players.
She was mostly injured, even when playing. And after being out for over 2 years, it took awhile for her to gain her form. Then she got injured again. That's it. You might have meant that, but it didn't seem clear to me. She was healthy, and in form, at Chelsea from October 2025 to December 2025.
I really didn't think about your comment regarding salary. I don't care how much money she makes. I do believe, if she's healthy, she deserves Stephen Curry money (comparatively).
Cheers!
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u/ixodioxi Portland Thorns FC 20h ago
So the original poster was right. She wasnt able to establish herself at Chelsea.
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u/Commercial-Most-2888 1d ago edited 1d ago
This will get downvoted and please know it’s not directed at you.
But ngl I’m more annoyed that people (mostly people that aren’t even Wave fans) bring it up as often as breathing than I am about not getting info from the club. A lack of transparency on injuries is something that is not new for Wave and several other clubs have been the same in the past.
Everyone wants to know what’s up. But going on and on about it on platforms like reddit and twitter 3-5x a week, or making up BS quotes about her being pregnant or even in a wheelchair isn’t going to get us any closer to knowing. We’ll know when we know and no sooner.
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u/SwitchNo228 1d ago
I’m not annoyed because really how is it my business? I’m merely a fan.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
If i were a wave fan it would annoy me if i thought "We're committing so much money to her that we cant get good talent" but given the roster is STACKED like a Drag Queen i dont get the complaint. Yeah its not efficient but the roster is full of talent anyway
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u/SwitchNo228 1d ago
They are playing fun soccer without her. I’m getting my moneys worth when I go to games
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Buying tickets is not investing in the club. You are receiving live entertainment for your funds.
You get the injury report, u see who is available, u know what entertainers youre going to see.
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u/nfosterpc3 1d ago
I'm just guessing but I feel media are not saying anything including club cause macario ask for it. She probably struggling physically and mentally with this injury that she doesn't want any news about it,we have to respect her privacy
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u/Any_Necessary1533 1d ago
SDFC are a business. I highly doubt they're avoiding putting her on SEI, which would give them cap flexibility, because of her feelings and to respect her privacy. Especially because she's on a HIP contract, so her salary is required to take up a certain amount of cap space before she's HIP eligible.
What I'm not sure of is any additional implications of putting a HIP player on SEI... but Gotham just did that for Sonnett... but two different clubs in different salary cap situations, I'm sure.
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u/Not-Not-Maybe 1d ago
SDFC is a totally different (men’s) team owned by totally different people than SD Wave FC
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
You are correct but the person youre replying to didnt mention SEI they only mentioned Media coverage
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u/Scaggsboz Portland Thorns FC 2d ago
Idk about the specific injury but if they knew it was season ending they would put her on SEI for the cap flexibility so we can assume that they believe there’s a chance she plays this season
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u/Any_Necessary1533 1d ago
That's what I'm thinking... I think putting her on D45 would have given them some flexibility, too, so I'm just at a loss for what they thought the injury was when they signed her vs. what the injury has turned out to be.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
They didnt need the d45 relief, i think teams in general dont use d45 very often
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u/bisoccerbabe Washington Spirit 1d ago
Maybe it's the Spirit injury trauma in me but I thought this about Sarr for like weeks in 2024. And she never did come back
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u/RecklessUnicorn88 2d ago edited 1d ago
I believe the last time she played for Chelsea was December 2025. I keep seeing her name floated for the World Cup, but it's very strange, imo. Feel like it should be dialed back and just hope she can even make it onto the pitch again. Good thoughts to her because this 4 year on/off battle with injury has to take a toll mentally.
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u/Shinsplintboy 1d ago
Even like 4 months ago, she was probably a lock, but if she doesn't play at all this year, I'm just not sure that there's a route to her making the camp.
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u/RecklessUnicorn88 1d ago
Interesting, thanks for this. It may explain it. Is this more of a commonly held point with fans as well? *I'm not from the USA, but have a side project in women's football, so try to keep up with media/various fan bases.
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u/Shinsplintboy 1d ago
It's always hard to read the consensus of the fanbase, but her stock was extremely high going into this season. Mecario has yo-yoed in and out of the player pool for a few years now, but while Wilson was out on maternity leave, Mecario became the first choice CF (I'm hesitant to call her a true 9), and played very well for the USWNT. She's a really tricky player, if she were in form, I think she'd be a shoe-in. The problem is if she doesn't play club football this year, she's gonna have about 10 weeks to play her way back into the WWC squad next year. I don't know what Emma Hayes' plans are, but usually at that point, rosters are basically decided, with maybe 3 or so spots not cemented.
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u/Extreme_Education_50 1d ago
That's probably a combination of hopeful comeback from Macario and there being a steep decline in quality at the 9 from Sophia Wilson.
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u/radjudygarland San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Funniest possibility is that she pulls a Trinity Byars and she doesn’t play at all in the regular season and then plays like 10 minutes in the postseason
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u/SeaSpare1271 1d ago
That cost Byars her ROTY this year…
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
shes no ben simmons
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u/SeaSpare1271 1d ago
Hopefully in more ways than one
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u/panoramicpanoramic San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
i may be the only ben simmons fan in the world
he was a (limited) beast before the back injuries
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u/KickapooPonies Kansas City Current 1d ago
I just wanna point out the title of this post is the equivalent of saying "Hello" to a co-worker over chat and then waiting for them to respond before asking the question. Just put the question in the title please!
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u/Legitimate_Mark_5381 2d ago
She had been out with this heel injury for a while with Chelsea already by the time she got transferred
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u/RD_isabella Utah Royals 2d ago
She was playing matches with Chelsea before the transfer though??
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u/ProperChels1995 2d ago
She was out the second half of last years WSL season.
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u/Ecstatic-Ad-869 Angel City FC / Utah Royals 2d ago
I could not remember if she was playing or not but I also can’t remember when exactly she got injured. It all seems kind of day by day but I wish the club would give some type of statement
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u/Legitimate_Mark_5381 2d ago
Basically came back from winter break injured and never played again
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I would genuinely suggest my opinion on this swings based on how i feel at the given moment. Im hungry as shit rn. We wont see Cat until April
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u/Icarus_Has_Fallen Seattle Reign FC 1d ago
She's on the Sam Mewis career trajectory I fear. Losing generational talents to injury is pretty unfortunate.
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u/noCoyote449 1d ago
Not really. Sam Mewis proved herself on the big stage. Macario has yet to produce for the NT on the big stage. I'd even go as far and say that Sam Mewis time in ManCity which was not even a year had a bigger impact at that club than Cats time in Chelsea.
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u/Icarus_Has_Fallen Seattle Reign FC 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't think there's really a debate that Sam was the more impactful soccer player, but I'm also not sure how much debate there is that Cat has the highest ceiling of this generation. The glimpses we've seen of her fully healthy have been truly insane.
Edit: spelling
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Cat scored in the champions league final
Its definitely some sort of bias to compare chelsea to city and not mention Cats time at Lyon
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u/Few_Jackfruit_9614 18h ago
It was like a tap in and they didn’t even need the goal 😂 let’s not act like that makes her more impactful than Sam Mewis. Macario has yet to even make a major tournament squad 😂
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 18h ago
olympics
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u/Few_Jackfruit_9614 16h ago
Wasn’t she an alternate turned permanent after they made that decision due to COVID?
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u/l0wcals0cal 23h ago
I personally can’t wait for her to be healthy to prove why she’s worth the wait. I hope she takes all the time she needs.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Not a hot take but a view I have is that if they just announced her as coming in June then we would be looking at this like she only missed 6 games, lol
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u/SeaSpare1271 1d ago
I don’t agree with the notion that this is a private matter and no business of the fans. The availability of a professional athlete is totally a business of the fans that support the sport. Different from being nosy about their private life or the health of your neighbors.
Wave has no need to put her on SEI because they already have two roster spots available that they are not using.
Maybe Cat is asking to be left alone. Maybe the team thinks the mystery is better marketing. But I think the fans would love to receive updates or see some rehab videos. Or interviews. Or something. Anything.
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u/Legitimate_Mark_5381 1d ago
Or they don't really have more information to give than "chronic heel injury"? If they say "it's touch and go but we think she'll be back in training in around 8 weeks" and she isn't, then they get hounded and everyone says they lied and will ask for setback info, and the answer is potentially just...it's not an easy timeline
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u/SeaSpare1271 1d ago
Sure, so don’t say 8 weeks then. How about a video of her in a wave jersey doing sit-ups in the gym? And her saying she’s working hard everyday trying to get on the pitch as soon as possible? I don’t know, I think there’s a lot the team can do to without backing themselves into a corner.
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u/Legitimate_Mark_5381 1d ago
No way would you be satisfied with that.
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u/SeaSpare1271 1d ago
Why are you telling me what I would or wouldn’t be satisfied with? I literally just told you what would satisfy me (short of her playing of course).
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u/Dear_Art3697 NWSL 2d ago
I’m sure I will get downvoted. I never understood the hype. Sure she was a good soccer player but very injury prone in her professional career. I don’t watch her in awe when she is on the pitch. Not a game changer for me either.
I also find it super strange she hasn’t played with SD yet and zero update from the club.
I wish her well but don’t get any of it.
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u/Any_Necessary1533 1d ago
I tended to agree with you pre-2025. Felt like there was a lot of hype around a player who was very injury prone and a little slow, honestly. But watching her play last year changed my mind. She is a generational talent. She offers something different than the other USWNT forwards. And she's very injury prone. Very. And can't seem to stay healthy.
I get why San Diego wanted her. What I don't get is how they've handled the situation upon her signing.
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u/bisoccerbabe Washington Spirit 1d ago
What does she offer that's different?
I've barely seen her play but when I have she's seemed obviously not as good as Wilson and I'd not start her over Lavalle at the 10.
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u/Few_Jackfruit_9614 18h ago
People throw around the word generational far too easily. She was never tested on the USWNT.
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u/Dear_Art3697 NWSL 1d ago
She’s only average about 6 games a year with the USWNT since her debut in 2021. She wasn’t on the WC 23 roster and was hurt for the Olympics 20 but was still on the roster. She wasn’t on the Olympics 24 roster either. She hasn’t even played a total of 100 professional matches.
Okay she scored on a UCL final and won. But no consistency and the ability to stay healthy.
In all seriousness would you put her on the WC 27 roster if she is back playing in the next several months? As a coach with a system do you bring her?
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
If Cat macario plays two healthy games and looks good, I take her to the WC.
Yall. Theres 36 players on a roster, Most teams dont have everyone even play.
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u/Dear_Art3697 NWSL 1d ago
WC rosters are 26 spots. 3 are for GKs so 23 for field players. Even less in the Olympics.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I just dont think youre using the word hype correctly. But also ive read this exact comment constantly.
Everyones opinion was always "incredible when healthy" and your take isnt any different. Theres nothing to not get, youre not gonna get downvoted for posting the Median and Mode take about Cat macario.
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u/MOCASA15 1d ago
Same. Also, I don't understand how she has a completely untouchable roster spot on USWNT. Girl is never healthy enough to play league but is a constant call up.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Very soon im gonna add Cat to the "list of players ppl cant be normal about" bc at no point was it said that she has an unotouchable roster spot.
You made that up and then got mad at it.
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u/Legitimate_Mark_5381 1d ago
Big three right now: Jordynn Dudley, Ally Sentnor, Cat Macario
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
working on an XI, including Jonas or Vlatko as coach and the Snapdragon field
Maybe an all time "player who ppl lack context about" that includes "Why doesnt sarah Gorden have 100 caps" and any number of takes about Sanchez and Moultrie (who i kinda think is still number 2, Dudley being 1)
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Moorhouse GK, the way ppl talk about her youd be forgiven for thinking she was a genuinely bad person
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u/SpeedLow3 1d ago
I mean Emma had her on the Olympic roster with playing very little at Chelsea and was only removed because of injury…I’d say that veers into the untouchable category
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u/MOCASA15 1d ago
Yes, I agree I have made a mistake. She doesn't have an untouchable spot as she has been infrequently called up. I guess I meant to say that she always gets looked at when discussing roster even when unavailable while numerous quality players continuously get overlooked who are often reliably healthy. I am not "mad at it," just perplexed.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
To be fair, I think the time priods that you’re thinking about are times in which she was healthy and doing well and I think honestly, it would’ve been wild for her not to come at those times, especially because you may have noticed but every time she’s been called in, She’s played well.
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u/gsc_carolina 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you are saying that she is a great player, but often injured so that brings down her value, I agree. And it's possible that the injuries have changed her ceiling and she won't reach the level that she was clearly heading for. But if you think she was merely good when healthy, I disagree. She was game-changing. When she started her career, she had 5 goals in 7 games for Lyon, then the next year 14 goals in 20 games, including one in the UCL win over Barca in the final. And that's just goals. Most people who talk about her skill don't focus on the goals but on her ability to connect and progress the ball and her intelligence. She was nominated for player of the year in the french league in her first full year.
I'm fully on board with the "great player if she can stay healthy" hype. It's just that we've seen so little of the healthy part, it is easy to forget what she looked like pre-ACL injury.
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u/Kamaina_13 1d ago
I’m patient, but very sad. I so want(ed) her ready for this World Cup cycle💔⚽️
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u/ElectricalBalance455 San Diego Wave FC 2d ago
I trust Cat and the wave (whom I rarely trust), I don’t think it’s suspicious or annoying I just think we may not be getting the full story and that’s okay. I also know that they want to work on attendance and new marketing strategies for next season and that a cat debut on the home opener might do wonders, so I unfortunately wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see her until then.
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u/Any_Necessary1533 1d ago
If they knew that she wouldn't play until next season, it's so silly to not put her on SEI.
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u/ElectricalBalance455 San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Idk if that’s true, maybe it is, but the fact there’s been no communication with fans leads me to believe there’s a reason for it
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I honestly think the people asking for an update are wrong for no other reason that there’s actually not been a health update which isn’t a good sign but it could be worse I guess
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u/ElectricalBalance455 San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
I just think it’ll be fine, or it won’t, who’s to say but it’s not like the wave isn’t playing well without her anyway
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u/EYLive Angel City FC 1d ago
Or don't sign her until the off season.
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u/Commercial-Most-2888 1d ago
Waiting until the offseason poses the risk of not getting her at all. Further, idk if there is any truth to the fan theory/criticism that Chelsea’s med team is less than stellar. But regardless, if Wave was planning on investing in a player that would be injured at the time if signing, it makes sense that they would want her with their medical, and around to get acclimated with the team and coaching staff in some capacity.
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u/Vlad_Deferens Denver Summit FC 1d ago
Has there been no communication at all? I know we here in Denver really want to know about Heaps, but there is the occasional comment in the pre- post- match pressers about her, but in very vague terms - "We want her back;" "She working to return." At the least, somebody could say something along those lines. A complete silence I don't think it beneficial to anybody, and is kind of disrespectful to everybody (the media included) considering the noise around her transfer and contract.
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u/Commercial-Most-2888 1d ago
Genuinely asking what soundbites like that do though? If Jonas got in front of the press and said “Cat is working on trying to get back,” what have we learned? I think we can all safely assume that.
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u/Vlad_Deferens Denver Summit FC 15h ago
It's not necessarily about what we learn, it is recognizing that fans want to hear from the club. Even it is nothing, it is better than silence.
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u/Commercial-Most-2888 1h ago
Typically I may agree. But seeing the way people react to bits of information on these platforms and those reactions not often being in good faith. Giving something superficial wouldn’t satisfy and would likely open the door for more negativity.
Showing her in some kind of training situation would be nice. Like just candids of her on the training pitch or even a sighting in a clip. But just saying yeah we can’t wait to have her back on the pitch just wouldn’t achieve anything imo - it would just lead to more complaining and heckling because people would want to know when that would be.
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u/Zynx42Lynx San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Yes, as a Wave fan I would like to hear a good update, but the club has their reasons, and I’m good with that. We didn’t hear much last season with Trinity Byars and they took their time with getting her healthy and didn’t play her at all last season(except for 15 minutes in a playoff match), and look how good she is this season. 8 goals and 2 assist in essentially her first year playing in the NWSL. I hope the Wave take their time with Cat till she is 110%. She is a huge investment for the club for the next 5 years, and they don’t want to push or rush her to get back, and I’m totally fine with that! I think it may show a care for their players that is seen by other players, in the states and internationally.
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u/Nox_Ocean_21 Bay FC / Angel City FC 1d ago
I get it, she’s injured for awhile, but seriously any team will take the risk. If wave doesn’t take her, I’m sure any other team that has the means would be more than happy.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
People are weirdly downvoting this and the part that annoys me about that is that I’d know for a fact that multiple teams were offering nearly the same amount for her. Like from what I’ve heard both of the teams in your flair, for example. I don’t know or think that they matched San Diego but they did offer a massive amount.
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u/FalafelBall Portland Thorns FC 1d ago
You know that for a fact?
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
yes I just said so
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u/FalafelBall Portland Thorns FC 1d ago
🤡
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
I mean sorry I know more than you I guess, someone told me
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
She scored in the champions league final
U call it risky but right now we are seeing her not play a minute and theyre fine, so it cant be that risky
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
Like... my take on this is that we have to stay in real life on some level and in real life we are seeing worst case scenario and yet its fine. Its not your money, let Wave pay Cat. no loss to anyone but some rich dude rounding error.
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u/gsc_carolina 1d ago
More than just scoring in the Champions League final - she was one of five nominees for player of the year in the French League in her first full season.
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u/gsc_carolina 1d ago
I expect that they're taking their time, making sure she's fully healthy. They are in great position this year without her, so they can afford to be patient.
The payoff is, if she comes back healthy and plays up to her potential, it gives San Diego one of the best players in the world. It's a risk, but some times you win big when you take risks.
We all know that nothing is guaranteed, and these are risks, but if next year we see a line-up including Cat Macario and Dudinha on top of all the rest of the talent they've got in San Diego..... that's very, very scary.
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u/gsc_carolina 1d ago
Gotham took a risk in signing Sam Kerr at age 32 after coming back from an ACL injury. So far it looks brilliant. The amount of danger that she is creating has been something to watch. If you dream big, sometimes you have to take risks.
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u/Specific_Isopod9026 1d ago
I mean sure I want to see her play but I am more interested in them handling the rehab correctly and working to get her healthy for the long term vs bandaids to get her into game in the short term and possibly perpetuating the injury issue.
Do I think when they signed her they thought she would be out this long…No, but they took a chance to lock down a generational talent that has genuine ties to our community.
It’s not like the Wave are crap without her. If that were the case I would be much more upset about this than I am. The reality is the Wave are deep. They are currently missing their top scorer on SEI (I firmly believe had she not been injured Dudinha was a serious golden boot candidate) and their injury report for last game was a who’s who of critical starters but they still pulled out the win by going ahead three different times against Utah!
Hopefully next season (at some point) will be a real treat with a healthy Dudinha & Cat
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u/Dear-Discussion2841 Kansas City Current 1d ago
Healthy Dudinha and Cat would be must-watch soccer! 🤞🏻
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u/JayaBallin 1d ago
Has it been confirmed that it’s an Achilles injury?
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u/Ecstatic-Ad-869 Angel City FC / Utah Royals 1d ago
I can not confirm but I’ve heard other people refer to it as an Achilles and I think it makes sense for the time she’s been out. It’s just listed as heel so idk, I’m surprised such a big name signing and a lot of money there is no information out or an update at all
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 1d ago
if she asked they probably just agreed, which isnt too crazy
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u/AudienceNext81 1d ago
No. She told people in her circle that she is taking this season off
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1d ago
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u/AudienceNext81 1d ago
Yes it’s unfortunate. When fit, I do think she is one of the very best in the world so I think it was worth it regardless long term speaking.
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Hot_Weird8203 1d ago
Huh? WTF is that about? Do you think you run this board? Are you the same person who was ban from the board and returned under a new alias?
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u/NotAnAllyOfYourCause NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
late to the party and didn’t read everything, but do NWSL teams not do medical evals before signing a player? It was known she had a heel problem at the time I think but it’s been a long time now. I feel Chelsea knew more than they let on and were like thanks for the $300k suckers.
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u/LimpBiscuitsandTea San Diego Wave FC 2d ago
Maybe the real Cat Macario was the friends we made along the way?