Ceres native Cade Cowell was swarmed by media members following the San Jose Earthquakes’ 2-1 international-friendly loss to Liga Mx club CF Monterrey at Avaya Stadium on March 23.

Cowell, who is just 15 years old, made history by scoring his first-ever goal during his regular-season debut with the Earthquakes.

“He’s going to have a bright future, he’s going to continue to grow as a player and I’m proud of him,” San Jose veteran forward/future Major League Soccer Hall of Famer Chris Wondolowski said while praising Cowell after the game.

Reporters were not allowed to talk to Cowell and fellow Earthquakes youngster Gilbert Fuentes (17 years old) following the match.

The Courier submitted a request for an interview with Cowell on March 25 and was also denied.

For the time being, teenagers Cowell and Fuentes will be off limits to the media. They’re still adjusting to life as professional athletes.

“The moment San Jose is facing is difficult because they only won four games last year, and the youth should not carry the weight of changing the club,” San Jose first-year head coach Matias Almeyda said. “We need to go step-by-step with the younger players and develop them into ambitious players that really know the system of play, and know the lifestyle of a soccer player, and from that point don’t burn them out. Our objective in a year to a year-and-a-half is to have many young players, and they should know what they play, how to play it, and why they play it.”

More than 30 family members and friends watched from the stands as Cowell provided a glimpse of the future when he scored within minutes of entering the San Jose-Monterrey game during the second half.

Cowell has yet to see any playing time during San Jose’s Major League Soccer matches.

When asked by SBI Soccer assistant editor Jeff Weisinger if Cowell would see any action on the field the rest of the 2019 season, Almeyda said: “I’m not going to throw in Cade every match. Maybe I’ll throw him in in six months.”

Almeyda and the Earthquakes are taking a big-picture approach to rebuilding the organization. Cowell, who started training with San Jose’s first team at the age of 14 this past year as an Academy player, is considered to be a key piece of the puzzle of future success. 

Cowell became the fourth-youngest player signing in MLS history when he inked a five-year contract with the Earthquakes in January.

He was recently named one of the league’s top 50 prospects for the 2019 season.