Catarina Macario scored her first international goal in nearly three years when the U.S. women’s national team defeated Colombia 2-0 in its opening match of the SheBelieves Cup in Houston on Thursday.
Macario scored in the 33rd minute and Ally Sentnor doubled the score in the 60th for her first goal for the USWNT.
Jane Campbell, who plays for the Houston Dash of the NWSL, did not have to make a save for her sixth shutout.
Macario was the 2022 SheBelieves Cup MVP but later that year sustained an ACL injury and missed the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She was on the roster for last summer’s Paris Olympics but was unable to play because of lingering knee irritation.
She gave the Americans the lead with some help. Lily Yohannes, a 17-year-old midfielder in her first start and third appearance, sent a ball to the Yazmeen Ryan deep on the right flank.
Macario made a run to the near post and got her left foot on the Ryan service for her first U.S. goal since April 12, 2022, when she scored twice against Uzbekistan. She has nine goals in 20 career matches.
Sentnor in her third match took a pass from U.S debutante Tara McKeown and smashed a 25-yard laser to the upper right corner to make it 2-0.
Defender Gisele Thompson and forward Michelle Cooper also made their debuts.
The U.S., the No. 1 team in the FIFA world rankings, has won seven of the previous nine SheBelieves Cup, including the past five.
No. 21 Colombia and No. 15 Australia are playing in the four-team tournament for the first time.
Next for the U.S. is Australia in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday. The Aussies lost 4-0 to No. 8 Japanese on Thursday in Houston.
The tourney concludes Wednesday in San Diego with the U.S. facing Japan while Colombia plays Australia.
The winner of the SheBelieves Cup will be determined by total points (three for a win, one for a tie) with the first tiebreaker goal difference, followed by most goals scored.
–Field Level Media
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