Soccer

19-year-old USMNT winger Cade Cowell choosing faith over fear amid transfer speculation

By Joshua Doering Jul 13, 2023
USMNT winger Cade Cowell dribbles up the field during the Gold Cup on June 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

The last two months have been full of obligations at both the club and international level for San Jose Earthquakes and U.S. men’s national team winger Cade Cowell. The 19-year-old was the leading goalscorer for the U.S. team that reached the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup, then played two games with the Earthquakes before leaving again to be part of the U.S. senior squad that was eliminated in the Gold Cup semifinals by Panama in a penalty shootout Wednesday night.

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Cowell scored his first senior international goal at the tournament, pouncing on a poor back pass against Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage.

He played in every game at the Gold Cup and earned a spot in the starting lineup for the semifinal thanks to his impressive performances earlier in the tournament.

“Being with the best players in the United States for a month, I mean, it’s something that I’m really going to take in,” Cowell said in a recent interview with U.S. Soccer. “And hopefully this is my first of many Gold Cups in the future.”

He has also played an important role for a resurgent Earthquakes team currently sitting in fifth place in the MLS Western Conference. His three assists in just 1,003 minutes of playing time are tied for second on the team.

Cowell made his MLS debut as a 16-year-old in 2020 and only needs three more starts this year to set a new career-high (he made 15 last season). All the while, his career has been fueled by his faith in God, and he regularly references his faith on social media.

 

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A post shared by Cade Cowell🐆 (@cc4_official)

Cowell has “In Jesus Name I Play” in his Instagram bio and gave glory to God after being named a MLS All-Star in 2021.

 

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A post shared by Cade Cowell🐆 (@cc4_official)

At the start of the Gold Cup, Cowell posted a series of pictures on Instagram that featured a “Faith over Fear” tattoo on the inside of his right bicep and an “In Jesus Name I Play” wristband.

 

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A post shared by Cade Cowell🐆 (@cc4_official)

His call-ups to the national team as well as his performances with the Earthquakes have caught the attention of European clubs. A move to a top European league seems like an inevitability, and some of the biggest clubs in the world have reportedly expressed interest in Cowell.

“To know some pretty big teams are watching is a cool feeling, it is for sure,” he told The Sporting News. “Growing up you have no idea if you’re going to make it or not, so just to see it is a really good feeling.”

Cowell will keep leaning on his faith as speculation about his future continues.

San Jose’s next game is its Leagues Cup opener against the Portland Timbers on July 22. The Earthquakes will wrap up the group stage of the new competition between MLS and Liga MX against Tigres on July 30. The top two teams in every group advance to the round of 32.

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