Cade Cowell Returns to MLS With Red Bulls to Revive Career and USMNT Push
Cade Cowell has completed a return to Major League Soccer, joining New York Red Bulls on loan after a difficult spell in Liga MX, with the move seen as a reset point for both his club career and his World Cup ambitions with the United States.
The 21 year old winger arrives in New York after falling out of favor at Chivas, where limited minutes and tactical mismatches stalled the momentum he once carried as one of the club’s breakout attackers.
Cowell’s move follows a turbulent final year in Mexico that included frequent coaching changes, a positional shift away from his natural role, and a prolonged absence from matchday squads that ultimately forced a change of direction.
The decision matters now because Cowell has not featured for the USMNT since November 2024, earning just 12 minutes in a Nations League win over Jamaica. With competition for wide positions intensifying ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle, consistent club minutes have become essential.
Red Bulls offers a familiar setting and a defined identity. The club’s high intensity, transition driven style aligns with Cowell’s strengths as a direct winger who thrives in space, pressing situations, and quick attacking phases.
The atmosphere around his arrival is markedly different from his early days at Chivas, where massive crowds and relentless attention followed him across Liga MX. In New York, the focus is quieter but purposeful, with preseason sessions centered almost entirely on ball work and tactical sharpness from the first whistle.
Key moments in Cowell’s recent past still frame the move. At Chivas, he was briefly converted into a central striker under Gabriel Milito, a role that limited his influence and reduced his attacking threat. As minutes dried up, so did his pathway back to the national team.
During his peak in Mexico, Cowell had been named Liga MX Player of the Month in July 2024 and embraced by supporters under the nickname El Vaquero. That surge, however, proved short lived as instability off the pitch translated into uncertainty on it.
The second half of his Chivas tenure became increasingly static. Squad omissions replaced starts, confidence dipped, and the winger who once stretched defenses was left watching from the sidelines. By the end of the campaign, a departure felt inevitable.
Late in the process, New York moved quickly. Conversations with the club’s sporting leadership convinced Cowell that the fit was right, with assurances that he would return to his preferred wide role rather than operate as a focal point up front.
The move also carries broader significance. Red Bulls are rebuilding after missing the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, and Cowell is expected to be a central piece in a refreshed attacking unit under a new technical direction.
For Cowell, the objective is clear. Regular football, form, and visibility are the immediate targets, with the national team firmly in mind. Europe remains a longer term ambition, but first comes the task of re establishing himself.
The winger is back on familiar ground, playing to his strengths, and chasing momentum once more. If the Red Bulls gamble pays off, it may also reopen the door to the international stage he is determined to return to.