Since the beginning of July, the Kansas City Current were without two of their star players as Michelle Cooper missed time due to injury, and Temwa Chawinga was gone competing for her home country of Malawi in the Women’s African Cup of Nations tournament.
Cooper was sidelined for six matches while dealing with a soft-tissue thigh injury. She made her return to the pitch on Friday, Aug. 14 when the Current hosted Gotham FC. Chawinga’s missed five matches so far since competing in Africa.
While it was unfortunate for the Current to be without two of their top players for a good chunk of time, their absences allowed for other players on the roster to be in the spotlight, specifically two forwards: Amelia White and Haley Hopkins.
White, a rookie this season, is one player who’s continuously made headlines the past few weeks. For starters, she scored her first professional goal on July 29 vs. Racing Louisville FC. After the game, White expressed how much of a “confidence boost” it was for her to get that first career goal checked off her list.
“It felt so good,” White said. “I think as a rookie, I’ve given myself some grace with the production end and just showing up every day and just being the best I can on the field every day. I think to finally get the results and the goal, it felt amazing and was a big confidence boost for sure.”
White then tied the NWSL record for the fastest goal scored in a match, just 22 seconds, against Gotham FC on Aug. 14. Funny enough, White tied Cooper for the league record.
Having Cooper and Chawinga out in that stretch gave White the opportunity to step up when her team needed her most. Since stepping into a starting role, White has more than doubled her shots and shots on target, while contributing two of the team’s eight goals.
“I think with some of our best players and some of those big names being out, I think we’ve definitely felt that,” White said on July 29. “We want to get them back as soon as we can. But, I think to be able to put on a performance and score so many goals today, I think was a good confidence booster for a lot of players on the team. I think it just brought us together a bit.”
Kansas City coach Chris Armas was pleased with how the team didn’t lose hope in their abilities during that stretch of Cooper and Chawinga being out. The team has also been without starting keeper Lorena, who was injured during Brazil’s June friendly against the U.S. women’s national team. Marisa Jordan has started the last eight matches in her place.
“I love that our team is one that doesn’t make excuses,” Armas said on Aug. 1. “We focus on our controllables and who we always have available. Oftentimes it means opportunities for others—the Amelia Whites, the Marisa Jordans—people get opportunities. I’m just really pleased with the way they commit to each other and what we’re asking.
“The work around here is always about our DNA, having it better at being us, and that’s in all the phases. We have missed a few players, key players, but we expect and hope and are preparing that at the end of the season when things matter most, that we have everyone firing on all cylinders, are healthy and are here.”
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One of those players who Armas asked to step up was Hopkins. She took the starting role when Cooper was ruled out with injury. Since July 10, Hopkins has scored three goals and recorded one assist.
“When you’re called upon, you just know to trust your preparation and make the most of it because you never know how long it’s going to be, what’s going to happen, but you know you take it one game at a time,” Hopkins said on July 29 after scoring two goals. “Confidence has grown after these games for sure.”
Hopkins credited the Current’s high-level training for giving her the encouragement to play her best on the pitch the past month-plus.
“Our training environment is so competitive. When you’re playing against the best players in the world, surly iron sharpens iron,” Hopkins said. “I think that’s a huge testament to the way we train, the way that we execute everything before the game, after the game and every little detail. We sure as hell miss them, but we know they’ll be back. Everyone out there is doing everything possible to keep it pushing.”
Armas complimented Hopkins’s approach to not being too overwhelmed in her match starts.
“Haley Hopkins has been given an opportunity this year—she’s versatile, she’s an attacker, but she’s an attacker that defends, which fits our style,” Armas said on Aug. 1. “She’s tough off the bench this year, and now with some starts, she’s even contributed on the pitch with some goal contributions, which is great for her and us.”
Hopkins and White remain in starting roles as Cooper gets acclimated after missing over a month. She substituted in for White in the 60th minute of her first match back. Chawinga’s return date hasn’t been announced, but she played in the WAFCON final, which Malawi lost 3–0 to Cameroon, on Sunday, Aug. 16. She’ll likely be back and ready to compete for the Current here soon.
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Despite only winning one match since Cooper’s injury, Armas is proud of how his team adjusted to the reorganized starting lineup. It does sound like Armas is ready to have the whole team back together soon, especially in the last few months of the season.
“I’m proud of the way the team steps on the pitch despite missing some players, and this is never talked about on the inside,” Armas said after the 2–1 loss to Gotham. “We went toe-to-toe on the night and created big chances without Temwa.
“When we have Temwa and we have Cooper for 90 minutes, or 90 minutes already she’s coming off an injury, we’re missing certain players. When you talk about the attack, it’s Cooper of course, and Temwa Chawinga, she’s only played about 40% of the minutes this year. It becomes harder for us when she is a reference point. She cannot only attack, but she defends well, she’s always a counter threat, she’s just someone who scores at a crazy pace for us. So, when you miss Temwa, you miss a lot, but we’re going to get her back soon.”
The Current sit in seventh place in the NWSL standings with a 9–3–8 record. Since July 10, Cooper’s first match out, Kansas City has put up a 1–3–3 record.
