KC Current’s Cooper and Hutton Earn Their Caps

What more could you ask for 🥹 pic.twitter.com/INdVl5zYov

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 23, 2025

One of the mildly surprising elements of the successful 2024 campaign for the Kansas City Current is that they did it without a big number of national team stars–for any nation, but especially for the United States. Sure, someone like Debinha is a household name for fans of the women’s game and, certainly, Chawinga dramatically elevated her profile in her MVP season, but when KC’s roster was compared to, say, Gotham’s the difference in national team stars was dramatic.

This feature likely benefited the Current during the two non-league cup competitions in the July and August Olympic break as Kansas City was able to feature a largely first-team lineup to compete with many second stringers on other teams–the Current would take home the title for both the Summer Cup and Women’s Cup.

Despite this seeming lack of high-profile athletes, KC did have a remarkably strong season, setting numerous records and finishing one goal shy of a chance to play in the Championship Match. How did they manage to set the league goal-scoring record without, for example, any “Triple Espresso” strikers? How did they become one of the stingier defenses down the stretch sans a Girma? a Naeher? a Sonnett? It’s true that some Current members have had some national team experience: Mace, Cook, and Franch all have earned USWNT caps in the past. But no one traded in the teal for the red, white, and blue in the Paris Olympics. (Interestingly, the past several months has seen the departure of no fewer than eight Current with national team experience in Scott, Franch, Schult, Lauren, Glas, Ballisager, Magaia, and Braun.)

There were many ingredients in KC’s recipe for success, but one of the primary ones was identifying and utilizing young talent. Two teenagers and several more rookies/second year players assumed key roles for a team that would thrill fans by scoring five goals in the opening match and barely slow down the rest of the way. Several of these youngsters had spent time on various youth national teams and so it seemed only a matter of time until they started getting looks with the senior group.

Enter new national team manager Emma Hayes and her philosophy of actively developing a much deeper pool of talent. She’s not even one year into her tenure and has already award 15 Americans their first national team appearances; a record for any coach since the USWNT was established. Would KC have the chance to cheer on any of their hometown heroes in these national team games?

Debuts 12, 13, and 14 of the Emma Hayes era.

Welcome to the international game, gals 👏#shebelievescup x @Visa pic.twitter.com/Q1yHkFMP5j

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 21, 2025

Yes! In the opening match of the 2025 She Believes Cup, Michelle Cooper earned her first cap as a second half substitute. With about 30 minutes of game time, she put in a good shift, helping to create several chances coming down the right wing. In fact, she likely should have recorded an assist off an inch-perfect cross to a wide-open Ally Sentnor (3:30 mark of this clip):

As Current fans know well, Michelle will play physically and put in a work rate second to none. She routinely drifted back to help defuse Colombian pressure and then was always in the right position to aid the Yanks moving forward.

First cap ✔️
First start ✔️

19-year-old @ClaireHutton112 is living out her dream 🥹🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QCyal6qHGN

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) February 23, 2025

But Cooper wasn’t the only KC player included in the roster for these first national team games of the year, and on Sunday, Claire Hutton not only earned her first cap but started and played about 70 minutes against Australia–the 4th place finishers at the 2023 World Cup. As part of a double pivot, Hutton patrolled the midfield and hardly put a foot wrong. She routinely relieved pressure on the US’s backline by breaking up counterattacks or calmly playing out of danger. She also was part of the buildup that led to America’s opening goal within the first minute of action.

The 60th minute saw the introduction of Cooper into the fray giving KC fans ten minutes to cheer on two of their own. This combination would prove instrumental for the home side as a perfect pass from Hutton and a killer finish from Cooper turned into the match winner.

Watching @michelle1cooper’s first international goal on repeat 🤩🔁

(via @USWNT) pic.twitter.com/M0FO19rrgh

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) February 23, 2025

Cooper would have two more good looks at goal through the match’s waning moments–and would earn a pair of corners from them.

Both Michelle and Claire were included in the “Futures” camp in January, but the future very much appears to be now for these budding stars. It seems quite likely that the next time the NWSL encounters an international break, Kansas City will be better represented on national team rosters. It’s also possible that Gabby Robinson, Alex Pfeiffer, (both working their way back from injury) or Ellie Wheeler…or one of KC’s new crop of young signings could be among the next group to get a look from Hayes and the national team.

In the meantime, be sure to tune in Wednesday night when Hutton, Cooper and the rest of the US women tangle with Japan in a winner-take-all final of the She Believes Cup.