The 20-year-old winger won Player of the Month in July, but could that lead to a new chance with the USMNT?
Down in Mexico, Chivas de Guadalajara fans call Cade Cowell " It means "." He's leaned into the gimmick, too, wearing Cowboy hats and unleashing lasso celebrations after scoring big goals for the Liga MX giants. It all fits nicely, as the nickname does lend itself well to Cowell's guns-blazing style of play.
It's led to a phenomenon known as , as fans at Chivas have taken a liking to the U.S. men's national team star, despite all of the historical reasons that would lead you to believe otherwise. This summer, though, has reached a new level as the American has exploded with goal after goal to make a major statement.
A year and a half after joining Chivas, Cowell is starting to piece it all together. Liga MX has caught on quickly, with Cowell receiving multiple awards for running riot throughout the month of July. The winger has three goals in the opening five games of the Apertura. The question is if the USMNT is watching, too, as a new era is reportedly set to begin under Mauricio Pochettino.
Cowell is still not a finished product. The 20-year-old still has so much growing to do, although that growth could be expedited with a few camps under a mind like Pochettino. Based on form, he's earned that sort of opportunity and, based on current form, it feels like he won't waste it.
Could Chivas' Cowboy soon become a bigger piece of the USMNT? The answer could come soon…
Getty ImagesStagnating in San Jose
From the moment American soccer was introduced to Cade Cowell as a 16-year-old, it was easy to see the vision. Here was a kid blessed with elite physical attributes. He was already tall at six feet, strong and could run at warp speed. There was clearly something there, but it was raw.
Throughout his time with the San Jose Earthquakes, his hometown club, you saw flashes of development. Under the tutelage of Chris Wondolowski, Cowell started to pick up some new tricks. Wondolowski was a good mentor to have, with the former striker having scored 167 goals as a member of the Earthquakes. While Cowell was blessed with every possible physical gift, Wondolowski could never say the same. His power was in his mind and, during their brief time together, the ex-USMNT forward tried to pass that down.
"He'll tell me, since I'm so fast, to just wait and wait and wait so, when I get there I'm attacking the ball at full speed," Cowell told GOAL back in 2021. "Things like that help so much.
"The timing of everything, like timing when to run near post, timing when to jump. That is still the hardest part but it's the most perfect thing. Timing is everything, and so for me with him, he times everything perfectly, and that's why he gets himself in this situation to where he finishes."
Added Wondolowski: “I'm literally in awe each day at just the specimen he is and just pure jealousy of the attributes he has. But his work ethic is what's going to take him to that next level."
After scoring a goal during that 2020 rookie season, he broke out a bit in 2021 with five more. He added five more finishes in 2022 but, by 2023, it felt like Cowell hadn't quite taken the leap. He scored just once in what ended up being his final season with the Earthquakes.
If Cowell was to grow, he needed a change of scenery, and his choice of scenery was a controversial one.
Advertisement@ChivasThe pressures of Chivas
The consensus was that Cowell should go to Europe. Across the pond, he'd develop mentally and technically, helping bring those sides of his game up to speed with his physical gifts. In Europe, Cowell would become the player many thought he could be.
It didn't happen that way. Instead, he went south, moving to Chivas de Guadalajara in Mexico. It was a controversial move for a variety of reasons. Historically, Chivas is a club that only signs Mexican players and, while Cowell is Mexican-American, his international future is committed to the USMNT. Meanwhile, many viewed the move as a lateral one, with MLS taking steps closer and bridging the gap to their Liga MX counterparts in terms of competitiveness.
However, the outside world underestimated exactly what Cowell was walking into. One thing that still separates Liga MX from MLS is the pressure. Playing at one of the Liga MX giants comes with an incredible amount of weight, and Cowell felt it from the start.
“It’s really easy to be comfortable [in San Jose], you know?” Cowell told the Athletic. “Playing in your hometown for so long, you know everyone at the club. It’s a happy place to be. You’re not uncomfortable. What I really wanted to do was be uncomfortable."
"When you go to the national team and play against players like [Christian] Pulisic and [Weston] McKennie, I was uncomfortable every day. It brings out the best in you. It’s something you can’t really explain or do until you’re in the situation."
He added: “There’s always pros and cons with such a humongous fan base. If you do well, you’re their Cristiano Ronaldo. If you do bad, they want to throw rocks at you. I think it’s really good. For me, the only thing I can control is how hard I work every day. When I’m on the field, I give my 100%. I think they’ll see that and respect that.”
Cowell had some decent moments during the 2023-24 season. He scored one goal in 18 Liga MX appearances while chipping in three more in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. To start the 2024-25 season, though, he's been on a tear, establishing himself as one of Liga MX's potential new stars.
GettyA strong summer
If Cowell establishes himself on both the club and national team level, this past July might be the foundation of his breakout.
Cowell earned recognition as Liga MX Player of the Month for the month of July as he ran riot to kickstart the 2024-25 season. Across four Liga MX matches and two Leagues Cup matches, Cowell scored four goals and provided one assist, already matching last season's goal total.
The run began with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Tijuana, but Cowell was also on the scoresheet in the club's next two games: matching 2-0 wins over Queretaro and Mazatlan. Then, in the Leagues Cup, he was a standout despite Chivas' early elimination, scoring in a 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy in a match that ultimately ended as a shootout defeat.
"There is no doubt that Cade Cowell is going through a great moment," the club said after the award in a statement, "and we hope he keeps it up so that Chivas continues to be one of the protagonists of the Apertura 2024."
It wasn't just the goals, though, but also the quality. Cowell's second award of the month was for Goal of the Month, celebrating his strike against Mazatlan.
Cowell scored himself a stunner, but it wasn't scored because of pace; it was scored because of patience.
After receiving the ball on the left-hand side, Cowell drove at his defender, cut, and then drove again. Despite being surrounded, Cowell never panicked, shifting his body to either side before smashing a shot to the far post. It wasn't saveable. It was just about perfect.
Getty ImagesCowell's incredible skill
With Cowell's physical attributes, he makes the ridiculous look easy. He can simply breeze by defenders and, with the ball at his feet. Here's a look at some of his top goals in Liga MX:
Now running riot through Liga MX, there's another aspect of his career to dive into: what does this mean for his future with the USMNT?
