In Conversation with Maitane Lopez (2024)

When Maitane Lopez exited the 2024 National Women’s League Challenge Cup final injured, NJ/NY Gotham FC fans collectively held their breath. The team was already facing a lengthy injury report, and missing the versatility of the Spanish midfielder-turned-center back would be a particularly strong blow.

Luckily, the 2023 Champions would only have to wait a few games to see her return, and in fact, she played all 90 minutes in the team’s most recent draw at home against the Kansas City Current.

“We are soccer players and we actually just want to play soccer,” she said. “Being injured just made me realize just how much I love the game and how much I was missing being with the team. I’m so, so happy to be back.”

Maitane certainly made her presence known in the team’s matchup against Kansas City, with seven recoveries — the third-most on the team — the 29-year-old faced a nearly impossible task: taking on Temwa Chawinga.

Likening the speedy and talented Chawinga to a cheat code, Maitane laughed reminiscing about her experiencing defending the latest star to join the NWSL.

“You have to try your best and try to avoid the through-passes, but it’s good for me because it’s a way to make you improve,” she said, recalling not just the challenges defending Chawinga, but Kansas City’s Beatriz Zaneratto. “As the kind of midfielder/center back I am, it’s really tough to play against these types of players because I’m ambitious. I want to learn and improve as a player so I think it’s a good place to be in.”

This season, Maitane is joined in the backline with U.S. women’s national team star Tierna Davidson. Davidson’s signing comes on the heels of Ali Krieger’s retirement, and she seems to be exactly the right person to pair with Maitane in the center back role.

“I was really curious about how [playing with Davidson] was going to be because I was used to play with Ali Krieger,” Maitaine said. “[During preseason], Tierna went to the national team few times and I was injured, so we didn't get to train that much together. Now, it’s so easy to play with her. She's an amazing player and an amazing teammate. I'm so happy that she's here and helping me because a I’m a midfielder playing center back. I also I feel Sam [Hiatt], Maycee[Bell] and Mandy [Freeman] also also doing really well.”

Maitane, who signed with Gotham last summer, is still learning the ins and outs of the NWSL and noticing the differences from her time playing in Spain.

“I feel like it's it's so different from like Spain, and Esther and I would talk about how it’s much more physical,” she said of conversations with her Spanish teammate. “It’s incredible the quality of the players and also the conditions that they have here. We're improving in other aspects. I personally have never felt myself this fit as I do right now. I feel I can run forever. It’s a good place to be because the league, the teams and the players that we have, are really, really good and that makes the competition a really good.”

Just a few months after joining the league, Maitane got to enjoy a championship with her team. On Sunday night, she and her teammates received their championship rings, a very American tradition that the Spaniard love. Her initial thoughts upon seeing the ring for the first time? “It’s huge!”

“I called my mom and was like, I don’t know what to expect!” Maitane joked, noting that seeing photos of American championship rings online does not compare to actually receiving one and holding it in your hand. “I think the ceremony that we had last weekend was amazing and I felt a little bit more American!”

Now Gotham, who has won, lost, and drawn in their first three matches, will look to pick up some points on the road against a strong Washington Spirit side who is currently on a three-game win streak.

“We’re really excited to go Washington,” Maitane said. “I think they are starting well, but we are so motivated and we are going to go in with the mentality to win.”