Ceres native Cade Cowell reached a major milestone in his professional soccer career this past month.
The 19-year-old forward became the youngest player in Major League Soccer (MLS) history to appear in 100 matches after being subbed on in the second half of the San Jose Earthquakes’ 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers on Sept. 20 in Oregon.
“I couldn’t have written a better script,” Cowell said while talking about all the boxes he’s checked since joining the pro ranks. “I’ve achieved more than I thought I could achieve. I’ve been able to do so many amazing things. I’m super grateful and blessed.”
On Thursday, Cowell was named a nominee for the MLS Young Player of the Year award for the 2023 season.
MLS Year-End Awards are determined via voting from three groups, including current MLS players, MLS coaches, technical directors/general managers, and select media members representing local and national outlets.
Voting opened on Tuesday and will conclude on Oct. 23.
On Sept. 2, Cowell earned Man of the Match honors while becoming just the 11th teenager in MLS history to score 10 regular-season career goals during San Jose’s 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC.
“I’ve worked extremely hard this year to finally grab my first MLS goal of the year which was difficult to get. Super excited that I got the goal and helped the team get a point at home and also made history at the same time.”Cade Cowell
“It’s an awesome accomplishment that I’m very proud of myself for doing,” Cowell said. “I’ve worked extremely hard this year to finally grab my first MLS goal of the year which was difficult to get. Super excited that I got the goal and helped the team get a point at home and also made history at the same time.”
Cowell and the Earthquakes are currently battling for a playoff berth under new head coach Luchi Gonzalez’s guidance.
San Jose moved to eighth place in the MLS Western Conference standings (10-10-13) after tying FC Dallas 1-1 on Saturday in Texas.
The Earthquakes will close out the regular season with a home match versus Austin FC on Oct. 21.
The top nine teams in the 14-team Western Conference will be awarded postseason berths. The eighth and ninth seeds will face off in a Wild Card Match.
“I’m not going to worry about numbers,” Cowell said leading up to his fifth season with San Jose. “I just want to be consistent.”
“He (coach Gonzalez) is a great guy,” he added. “He cares a lot about us. He’s known for playing young players and sending them to Europe. I’m excited to be coached by him.”
Cowell signed his first contract with San Jose at the age of 15 as a Homegrown Player in January of 2019.
He became the youngest player signing in Earthquakes and Bay Area team sports history.
Cowell didn’t make any appearances in MLS play as a rookie.
He totaled one goal and one assist in 18 games during his second season.
Cowell enjoyed a breakout season in 2021 as he was named the Earthquakes’ Young Player of the Year.
He collected a career-high five goals and six assists.
He ranked second on the team in both statistical categories.
Cowell also recorded career-highs in appearances (33), starts (14), minutes (1,664) and shots (42), earning a selection to the 2021 MLS All-Star Team.
He ranked No. 7 on MLS’s 22 players under the age of 22 list as voted on by an expert panel consisting of MLSsoccer.com analysts, MLS Player Department staff and external media.
Cowell totaled three goals and five assists while appearing in 31 matches, including 15 as a starter, during the 2022 campaign. He suited up for fourth-year head coach Matias Almeyda for the final time last season.
“He had a huge impact on me,” Cowell said. “Even when I wasn’t ready, he believed in me. He gave me confidence.”
Cowell signed a contract extension with the Earthquakes in February of 2022.
Financial terms for the deal which runs through the 2025 MLS season with a club option for 2026 were not disclosed.
“Seeing Cade grow from a promising youth player and having it translate to production at the MLS level has been exciting to watch,” San Jose General Manager Chris Leitch said.
