From Chivas’ ‘El Vaquero’ to the Red Bulls: Why Cade Cowell sees New York as a launchpad for his World Cup ambitions

There was something of an expectation - from the outside, at least - that Cowell would find Liga MX difficult. Chivas had a long history of not allowing anyone but Mexican nationals to play for their club. That Cowell was proudly American, had played for the national team, and didn’t even have a Mexican passport growing up, which seemed like a death knell to his career before it had even started. 

But Cowell ignored any of those pretenses or assumptions. He penned a deal to sign for the Liga MX club, secured a Mexican passport - possible due to his mother’s side of the family - and flew to Chivas all the same. Before he knew it, there Cowell was in a hotel room, documentation in hand, and soccer to play. 

“It happened so fast. There was not really a lot of thought into it, until I was sitting in a hotel room in Mexico,” Cowell recalled. “I'm like, ‘wow, I really am here.’”

Cowell knew back then, in January 2024, that he wanted to leave San Jose. He was 20-years-old, and he figured, ready for a step up. Europe had been the dream for a while, but Chivas offered a tantalizing deal and the chance of something new. What should have sounded complicated was actually remarkably simple - at least from Cowell’s perspective. Chivas called and told him he could continue his career in Liga MX if he obtained a Mexican passport through his father’s side of the family. Cowell considered his options and went for it. 

He didn’t hear much for a few weeks. The paperwork was ticking away in the background, the wheels of bureaucracy turning over and over. Unsure of when he would be making the move, he accepted a call-up to the USMNT for a January camp, something he had craved for a while - and another presumptive step in his journey towards a bigger role for the nation he represented. 

Two days into the window, he was told to pack his bags and depart the team. He was going south of the border. 

“I had to leave,” Cowell said. “And just go straight there.”

Cowell was nervous at first, he admitted. Sure, he had performed for the San Jose Quakes in MLS, proved his credentials for various youth national teams, and Chivas had reached out to him to make this all happen. But there was no getting away from the fact that he was an American playing in front of a fan base that, on principle, didn’t like them. 

He wasn’t sure what to expect. There was a lot of noise. What reception would await him? 

“It was a big thing, the first player from the U.S. national team to play for Chivas. Going over there, the media paints this picture. I was a bit nervous about that,” Cowell admitted. 

But those fears turned out to be largely unfounded. What he met was a country that embraced him as a footballer. It helped, of course, that he had connections to the country. Even if Cowell was born in the central valley in California and played his soccer in upscale neighborhoods in the Bay Area, the passport was enough to endear him to the fans. 

“Yes, I play for the national team. But I do have Mexican blood. Other than that, it was just a fact, and there's nothing wrong with that,” Cowell said. 

It helped, too, that he could play a bit. Chivas fans quickly dubbed him “El Vaquero”, translation: the cowboy. He had a laugh with the nickname, too, unleashing lasso celebrations and donning cowboy hats. 

Cowellmania, as it was called in the Mexican media and online, hit in his second season. Cowell was named Liga MX Player of the Month in July 2024, and on the brink of becoming a bona fide star. 

But the problems started soon after. First, it was reportedly Chivas blocking Cowell from joining the USMNT’s Olympic squad - something they had the right to do as the Olympics are not considered a FIFA window. And then it was managerial churn. 

By May 2025, Cowell was on his fifth coach in Chivas. And this one, Gabriel Milito, didn’t play with recognized wingers. For a while, he tried to shoehorn Cowell in as a No.9. But by the last few months of the last campaign, he was consistently left out of matchday squads. 

Cowell was frustrated. It was time for a new challenge. 

“Not having many minutes and not getting involved, it's not always the best. And I still am very young, and I think minutes are very important,” he said.

Cowell didn’t know who the Red Bulls manager would be when he agreed to sign. There were rumors that Michael Bradley would take over - but nothing was sealed. Still, after considering his options, a quick conversation with Head of Sport Julian de Guzman was enough. 

De Guzman said all of the right things. Cowell fitted the system, they insisted. He was the right kind of player, with the right attitude: attack-minded, quick, energetic. A one-year loan - with an option to buy - was sewn up relatively quickly. 

“They said that I fit the identity of what the club means and Red Bull soccer. I really believed in that,” Cowell said. 

De Guzman reinforced that notion in a club statement. 

“We are very excited to add Cade to our roster. He is a quick, skillful attacking player that will be an important part of our frontline next season,” De Guzman said. “He has had proven success in MLS, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish with us.” 

Part of the appeal is his position. Cowell was used as a No. 9 for Chivas - and the fit was never quite right. Sure, he had played there as a kid. But he is a winger who, at his best, can take over games with his pace and creativity. To ask Cowell to hold up the ball and serve as an attacking focal point is to waste what he's best at. 

“From not fitting the system in Chivas in the last six months or so, but, and then, you know, hearing that [I would fit] again, I was very happy with that,” he said. 

Red Bulls started their preseason on Saturday. There isn’t really much to take away - yet. Except one thing has stuck out to Cowell: every minute has been with the ball. There’s no traditional schedule here in which players have to do a week of running and conditioning before they’re able to get touches. From minute one of Day 1, the focus has been on playing soccer. 

“It’s been great. I mean, everything has been with the ball so far, really intense trainings. Everyone's really enjoying it,” Cowell said.

Part of the motivation for Cowell’s move, he admitted, was wanting to be among the World Cup squad. The winger has 11 caps for the USMNT, but hasn’t played for the national team since November 2024. That day, he played just 12 minutes in a 4-2 thumping of Jamaica in the Nations League quarter finals. Cowell hasn’t been involved since. 

“It was the first time I went a year without being in the national team. I want to work my way back. And I know if I get a chance, I'll give it everything I can. But I just want one more chance,” he said. 

There are further goals, too. Europe was the dream when Cowell was a kid, and that remains true to this day. He had a handful of chances to move to European clubs during his time at San Jose, but a move never materialized. 

“I’ve always been there, right there, very close to it. If it comes again, I definitely would love to take the chance and test my game,” Cowell said. 

But until then, he’s happy where he is. The Red Bulls have retooled and need a boost after failing to make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years last season. Bradley, one of the most hyped coaching prospects in years, is part of it. Cowell will be another key element. And for him, this is a fresh start - something he has been needing for a while. 

The American kid with Mexican blood is back home. There may not be 5,000 fans waiting at airports, but as he takes the field at Sports Illustrated Arena in a Red Bulls shirt, plenty will be watching.