ALABAMA - After weeks of speculation, Chivas finally reached a deal with MLS team San Jose Earthquakes for the transfer of young winger Cade Cowell.
Cowell started his career in the Earthquakes academy and earned a call up to the first team in 2019, making him the fourth-youngest signing in MLS history at just 15 years and 102 days. During the 2023 season, Cowell reached 100 MLS games and became the youngest player in league history to reach that milestone. He becomes Chivas' third new signing ahead of the Clausura 2024, joining midfielder Érik Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Óscar Whalley.
As mentioned, Cowell's $4 million transfer to Chivas ranks as the biggest sale for the MLS club, more than doubling the previous record in club history when the Quakes sold Eddie Lewis to Premier League club Fulham in 1999-00. On top of the $4 million paid for Chivas, San Jose also included some add-ons to the deal plus a sell-on percentage in case Cowell leaves Liga MX for an opportunity in European soccer.
Whalley and Cowell's transfers are particularly interesting from Chivas' point of view, as the Liga MX giants have been traditionally known for playing only with Mexican players. The club's policy has relaxed in recent years, allowing an opportunity for dual nationals to represent one of Mexico's biggest soccer teams. In fact, the last dual national to play for Chivas was Alejandro Zendejas when he joined the club in 2016.
Although Zendejas now represents the United States at the national level, he still played for Mexico during his time with Chivas, making Cowell, who has eight caps for the USMNT, the first player in Chivas history to represent a national team other than Mexico.
🔴⚪️ Hay muchas formas de decirlo, pero el sentimiento es el mismo ⚪️🔴 #DaleRebaño 🇲🇽🐐 pic.twitter.com/DuQRBzuK92
— CHIVAS (@Chivas) January 16, 2024
The electric winger played a total of 106 MLS games for the Earthquakes, producing 10 goals and assisting in 15 more. In 2021, he earned a spot in the MLS All-Star team thanks to five goals and six assists.
'El Rebaño' will hope that Cowell's pace and skill can help ignite their attack after the Chivas offense finished the Apertura 2023 as the sixth-worse in Liga MX, scoring just 22 goals. This drop off can be linked to the bad form of one of Chivas' key players in attack: Alexis Vega. The Mexican winger had a tough time with injuries and personal problems last tournament, playing in only 10 games including 'Liguilla'.
Cowell's arrival could prove to be Vega's long-term replacement, as both players have a tendency to occupying the same spaces. With Vega looking for a new club after a fall out with club hierarchy, Cowell could be the perfect replacement for him.
Playing in a wide role, Cowell was one of the players with the most take-ons per game last MLS season, averaging 2.2 successful take-ons. His ability to progress the ball down the field also ranked very highly among MLS players last season (3.45 per game). A great example of this is the goal he scored against Real Salt Lake just a couple of seasons ago.
Compared to Vega's numbers, it is clear why new head coach Fernando Gago was interested in bringing Cowell to Guadalajara, as Alexis has also been one of the best dribblers in Liga MX in the past few years. Just last tournament, he ranked in the 92th percentile for most successful take-ons in Liga MX.
Just like Cowell, Vega is a player that likes to take on opponents and advance down the field with the ball at his feet. His role has changed over the years, as Chivas' need for a creator have moved him away from the left flank to a more central role. If Cowell wants to succeed in Guadalajara, it will be crucial that he uses his electric pace and skill to create opportunities out of nowhere. Last season, Cowell ranked among the 87th percentile in MLS for shots after a successful dribble.
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