USWNT Dominates Italy: Catarina Macario Shines

Catarina Macario scored two goals as the United States Women's National Team defeated Italy 3-0 on Friday night at Orlando's Inter&Co Stadium. This match marked the first of two friendlies between the teams, with a second game scheduled for December 1 in Fort Lauderdale.

Alongside Macario, Olivia Moultrie also found the net, while goalkeeper Claudia Dickey secured a shutout in only her fifth appearance at the senior level. US veteran Rose Lavelle commented on the game, stating, 'We wanted to keep building on the performances we had last camp, and the emphasis on coming out strong and sticking to our principles, and I think that's what we did.

Overall, I think a really good team performance.' Head coach Emma Hayes echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of starting strong and maintaining a clean sheet, emphasizing the team's coachability and growth. 'A clean sheet means as much to us this evening as the result and the performance,' Hayes remarked.

The United States made an aggressive start, attacking Italy's goalkeeper Laura Giuliani right from the kickoff, scoring within the first two minutes. The sequence began with Lilly Reale assisting Lavelle, who connected with Moultrie for her second goal in as many appearances.

Moultrie stated, 'We talked about starting fast and starting strong, and I think the momentum carried out.' The US continued to dominate, with an offside call denying Moultrie a second goal at the 48-minute mark.

In the 64th minute, Sam Coffey set up Macario, who scored to double the lead. Macario added her second goal in the 76th minute, assisted by 18-year-old Lily Yohannes. This match marked Macario's 15th goal in 28 international appearances, and she has been involved in 18 goals in her last 14 games for the US.

Macario expressed her joy in being part of the team, stating, 'It was a great win, it's always a pleasure being with this team.' Coach Hayes remarked on the importance of these friendlies for building team experience, noting, 'We're building towards something and we have to build cap accumulation across the squad.' She emphasized that the team's current focus is on qualifying for the World Cup, with a busy schedule ahead, including the She Believes Cup and further opportunities in January. 'We need to recognize there's not a lot of time so every single minute matters,' Hayes concluded.