Cade Cowell is getting the blank canvas he needed, and it’s coming with Red Bull New York.
The 22-year-old American winger’s artistic inspiration faltered with Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara. Playing in what he described as “a system that was a little bit different for me,” compared to his previous two seasons in Liga MX, he appeared in just 20 matches across all competitions in 2025, with one goal and one assist.
He now returns to Major League Soccer, where he began his career with his hometown San Jose Earthquakes, with a New York club that appears to have all the necessary tools to serve as muse to an American soccer masterpiece.
“Red Bull is such a big name, a big club, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Cowell told amNewYork in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. “It’s fast play; they’re going to be a very attacking team.”
After missing the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, they fired head coach Sandro Schwarz, while head of sport Jochen Schneider stepped down. In came Julian de Guzman, who promised an overhaul of the Red Bull way: This is a team that will now prioritize frenetic, high-intensity attacking soccer.
He brought in one of the most successful players in American soccer history, Michael Bradley, as head coach to execute his vision. The 38-year-old former US captain is getting his first top-flight head-coaching experience with New York, and he most likely is going to bring a pacy, offensive 4-3-3 style of play with him.
Cowell checks off all those boxes. He is pacy down the wing, composed in possession, a threat with both feet, and has the vision to be a playmaker with the creative ability to open up chances for himself.
He is also the first major signing to begin executing de Guzman and Bradley’s vision, following their trades of Scottish international Lewis Morgan and midfielder Peter Stroud.
“I think that’s going to fit me perfectly, and I hope I can help them in that way,” Cowell said. “It’s an honor for me [to be this highly regarded]. I’m glad to be that first signing, and I think I can show some really good things here in New York with the way we’re going to play. I think Michael Bradley will be an amazing coach for us and this team. This is a fresh start for us.”
“We are very excited to add Cade to our roster. He is a quick, skillful attacking player who will be an important part of our frontline next season,” de Guzman added. “He has had proven success in MLS, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish with us.”
For as much of a “shock” as it will be walking into the Red Bulls locker room to work alongside former Bayern Munich and PSG striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting or long-time RB Leipzig midfielder and Swedish international Emil Forsberg, there is also the underlying determination to set his sights even higher while in New York.
Cowell’s brilliant play with San Jose and at the start of his Chivas career earned him 11 appearances with the United States men’s national team (USMNT), but head coach Mauricio Pochettino has not called him back up since November of 2024.
He wants nothing more than to get back there, and he believes that a strong start to his Red Bulls career will re-open that door, especially with the 2026 FIFA World Cup being just six months away on American soil.
“That’s definitely on my mind,” Cowell said. “The first thing is playing well at Red Bull and that will open up a lot of different windows. But the national team is definitely a huge goal that I have. The biggest tournament in the world is coming up. I don’t have a lot of time, but I know what I can do, and I hope that I can show it.”
