In their first game together, a 2-1 loss at Columbus on August 16, the FCD duo combined well at times and it was Cunningham who gave the Hoops an early 1-0 lead with the 100th goal of his league tenure in the first half.
However, in the game and a half since (the second half of the Columbus match and last week's Kansas City game), the pairing has often looks out of sync with one another and been largely inconsistent. That's exactly how FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman would characterize their play thus far.
"I think any time you have coordination between two players, it's got to be two players on the same page," Hyndman said. "Sometimes they're on the same page and sometimes they're off the same page. But before Jeff got here, you could say the same thing. So, it's a combination of not just combining but coordinating with each other. One guy checks for the ball and the other runs off. When you get the ball, you look for the other guy to combine. Right now, we're not doing that. There are so many things that I would like to work on but that may be something that we need to backpedal a little bit on and get that coordination a little bit more."
Both players realize that cohesion will come as they play together more.
"Jeff is a great player," Cooper said. "Like I've said before, his statistics speak for themselves. He's scored a lot of goals in this league. I've had a couple of weeks with him and he is a great person. I really enjoy being around him in the locker room and enjoy being on the field with him. I have a lot of confidence because he's a great player and someone I enjoy being out on the field with. I think that the more time we spend together, hopefully, the more dangerous we will become."
Cunningham knows he, too, will get to know Cooper better -- who is currently second in MLS with 13 goals.
"My thing is that as an attacking player, it's very difficult to create," he said. "I'm not necessarily saying defending is easy but I think it's much easier to disrupt plays than it is to create opportunities. That cohesion is going to take time but Kenny is a goal scorer and he knows how to create space and create goals for himself. So, I have no doubt that he will continue to score goals and possibly win the (Golden Boot) this year."
Before they were teammates, both strikers were familiar with each other but Cooper and Cunningham admit they have noticed new things about one another over the last few weeks.
"On the personal side, I have noticed that he's a great guy who works hard in training," Cooper said. "I've only known him before from playing against him. I always considered him a dangerous player. I've gotten to know him more personally and have enjoyed being his teammate."
Said Cunningham: "(I have noticed) his technical ability. He's not a typical big man. He's very good with his feet and his movement is very good. His work rate and the effort he puts in is amazing, especially for a young player to have that kind of professionalism at such a young age is amazing."
Since Cooper is perpetually one of the last players to leave the training field, for Cunningham, that means joining his strike partner for extra finishing work long after many of their teammates have retired to the locker room.
"I'm forced to have to keep up," Cunningham said. "For him to have that work ethic, it's contagious to a veteran like myself looking at him and looking to stay at him to continue to improve. It's only going to affect the entire team in a very positive way and will help our team improve if everyone is pushing to better their play."
During halftime of a reserve game on Wednesday between FCD and Houston, Cooper took his newest teammate over to meet his father, Kenny Sr., who played professionally in England and also in the NASL. The three enjoyed a spirited conversation for some time and it left a strong impression on Cunningham.
"He is very knowledgeable about the game and seems like he is a very strong, disciplined person," Cunningham said. "As a result, I can see where Kenny gets his work ethic and his character from. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. He's a good family and good support system. That's what is going to help him the further he advances in his professional career."
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