Chelsea Women: Top-five moments throughout the 2023 calendar year

5. Catarina Macario pens three-year deal with Chelsea Women

Date: June 9, 2023 (became CFCW player on July 1)

It was quite evident when the Catarina Macario inked a deal with Chelsea Women she wasn't going to see the pitch for some time. The last time Macario was on a football pitch for a competitive match was back in June 2022. Her recovery has been long and exhausting, continuing to emphasize the fact that we need more research done when it comes to injuries on women's footballers. That does not change the fact that the USWNT star is viewed as the future face of the Blues. This was a statement of intent by the west Londoners. A European title was on their minds

She's only 24 years of age. The fact that the Stanford University product has already bagged a UEFA Women's Champions League final goal tells you all you need to know about the kind of impact she's bound to have in blue when healthy. In the weeks leading up to the knee injury, Macario had a run of games across the French league, international play, and the Champions League where she contributed to 12 goals in eight total contests.

It was almost like when Pernille Harder joined the west London outfit from a top-quality side in the German top-flight. The two were shining stars at their previous clubs with an ambition to elevate to another level with the west Londoners. She has some massive shoes to fill in that No. 9 jersey after Bethany England, but there is no doubt that she possesses the capabilities to match England's influence on CFCW. Given the pedigree of player, this moment had to be featured within this memory-filled list.