Chelsea Women were already enjoying a comfortable 2-0 lead over Ajax in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals when forward Catarina Macario came on for Lauren James in the 74th minute.
Macario, 24, is still just beginning her comeback after 641 days off the pitch following an ACL injury, but her performances so far made the substitution feel almost too indulgent – one of the best young players in the world (James) being replaced by another one (Macario) with something to prove.
It didn’t take her long to make an impact. Macario’s assist to Sjoeke Nusken’s second goal in the 88th minute, a gorgeous parabolic cross that was always destined for the German midfielder’s head, was another sign of her renaissance and a final dagger in a 3-0 win over the Dutch side.
“She’s gifted,” Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said after the match, noting that Macario’s preternatural ability to drift out wide and deliver high-quality crosses was similar to that of James.
Macario’s recent appearances as a substitute might suggest she’s ready to increase her match time. Her WSL debut goal against Leicester City in her first post-surgery appearance was followed by a go-ahead goal against Everton in the FA Cup quarterfinal and then came last night’s stunning assist.
All took place within modest timeframes, with Macario having been subbed on six, three, and nine minutes, respectively, before each contribution.
Macario has made an impact since returning (Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
However, Hayes said she and the rest of the Chelsea staff have looked beyond what’s currently reflected in her limited minutes.
“Cat, we’re building, building, building,” Hayes said, later explaining that a return from injury can take many forms depending on the player.
Macario’s shortest appearance of her comeback so far came in a seven-minute cameo against Arsenal last Friday, and it was the one bump along what has been an otherwise smooth road. It was a failed Macario clearance that was pounced upon by Kim Little for Arsenal’s only goal in a 3-1 win, and counted as an own goal against Macario because it ricocheted off her on the way in. Hayes said Macario remarked on the speed of play after the Arsenal game, and the adjustments she would need to make in order to insert herself into games as seamlessly as possible.
“With the way we build players, it’s not just 20 minutes, 30, 45, 60, 90,” she said. “Sometimes it’s 20 at a certain level, and 20 again, but it’s a higher intensity. And Arsenal, for me, even 20 minutes was a much higher intensity. I think tonight was of equal level purely because (it’s) the Champions League and the energy of the crowd, but you saw the quality of the cross.”
Still, Chelsea were facing a young Ajax squad made even younger without the anchoring presence of Sherida Spitse, who was suspended. Ajax came out swinging, with 16-year-old American midfielder Lily Yohannes threading a few penetrating passes into Chelsea’s final third that led to two shots on goal in the first 15 minutes.
Ajax manager Susanne Bakker said that Chelsea maintained their ruthlessness for longer and eventually won back the lion’s share of possession, allowing them to establish their own tempo. Bakker said they will continue to play to win next week, no matter the 3-0 deficit.
Macario’s cross was right on track for Nüksen to finish (Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s heavy recent workload, plus the return of Spitse to Ajax’s lineup next week, could aid their chances. Hayes acknowledged that despite strong performances across her team in their last two fixtures, particularly from defender Kadeisha Buchanan and Nusken, that it was “difficult to make changes tonight… but I do think we’re going to have to make changes in the next two games because I can see some of the fatigue in some players in different ways, so everyone’s going to be counted on.”
Might those changes pave the way for Macario to start in the foreseeable future? Perhaps. Fellow striker Mayra Ramirez is scheduled to return from injury by the weekend, Hayes said, and the team needs to also account for other ways Macario could respond to reacquainting herself with that match-level intensity.
“Cat is someone who is not 100 per cent yet, but she’s not far away from starting a game,” Hayes said. “People just think, ‘Oh, she’s over that injury,’ but then you start training and then your muscles are having to adapt, and you might get a little tightness in your hamstring and in your groin, and you might have to take the loading off again, and then you have to develop a resilience and a robustness in your body.”
As nonlinear as these processes can be, they haven’t appeared to have any bearing on Hayes’ plans or Macario’s focus — or her sense of humor, according to the manager. Ahead of the Ajax match, Hayes said Macario had annotated a recent form she had filled out for Olympic roster consideration: “Now all you have to do is pick me!” she’d written to Hayes, who will move to her new job leading the U.S. women’s national team in May.
“I want to build Cat for the long term,” Hayes said. “That’s my most important thing for her. She deserves to have a career at the top level.”
(Photo: Gerrit van Cologne/ANP via Getty Images)
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