San Jose Earthquakes legend Chris Wondolovsky has been driving Cady Cowell, 17, for years. Now the teen shines in MLS

The first time Chris Wendolovsky met Cady Cowell, the legend of San Jose Earthquakes was not in a good place.

It was 2018, and the earthquakes were in the midst of a miserable season that would ultimately end in MLS. Wondolowski wasn’t in the starting lineup either. So when he was put up with the reserves in a group brawl, including a few Academy kids who were supposed to be heading to college, he wasn’t surprised. He soon noticed that Cowell “completely destroyed” Joel Koeberg, one of the team’s left-back players, but the player’s passes were out of reach, and Wondolovsky consistently missed in the penalty area.

Wendolovsky told ESPN, “I remember yelling at him, although he might have recognized his legendary power, he soon noticed,” But not so bad. However, he was so moved by what he saw that he went to art director Chris Leach afterward to offer his criticism, completely unaware of who Cowell was.

“I was like, ‘This kid isn’t bad. But when he enters college, he has to make sure that he finishes that final pass. It is very good. Who is this child? Chris was like, ‘Yeah, he’s in eighth grade.’ I was like, ‘He’s got so little time. he is fine.”

“I clearly remember Kidd in that practice. Never heard of him before, and never knew about him. But while driving home, I smiled to myself. I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s something. “

Mr and apprentice

As if there were any doubts about Cowell and Wendolovsky whereabouts in their careers, one just needs to take a look at their hair. They are both multi-colored, but for different reasons. Cowell does a blond dye job, because that’s the kind of thing you do when you are 17. For Wondolowski, there are gray spots in his beard. All this one more reason why it was Wondolowski’s mission to take the youngster forward under his wing.

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Not only is Wondolowski in what he says is the final season of his career, but with Cowell already in two goals and three assists in six matches this season, scouts are sniffing around, trying to bring the youngster to Europe. This means there’s only so much time to put professional wisdom into 17 seasons.

Chris Wondolowski remembers his first training session with Cady Cowell, when the last one was in eighth grade. Douglas Stringer / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Wendolovsky’s advice takes many forms. It is an encouraging and artistic part in part; He is a psychologist, and he’s also just a teammate. Wendolovsky was quick to point out that he and Coyle are “not at the hip,” but that there are plenty of opportunities to talk about the store, whether it’s in the square, watching a movie, or in the dressing room. Games provide those opportunities, too.

“Between halves, during the match [Wondolowski] He shouts from the bench, or always says things like, “You can blow on this guy,” Coyle told ESPN. “It is always [giving] That confidence. He’s cool at that. “

There are more accurate technical indicators as well. Wondolowski showed Cowell the benefits of double jogging, juggling one post and back another. Wondolowski also noted that when Cowell ran across the back line, he was running across both center backs. “Try to go.” [by] Just one of the midfielders and get in between, and they’ll have a harder time picking you. Then no one will stay with you. “

Then there’s the finishing touch art, a Wondolowski staple. In a final match against Seattle Sounders, Coyle directed his first domestic timing “Wondu” with Eric Remedy’s pass on target, only to be prevented by Stephan Fry’s sparkling save. While the end result was disappointing, Cowell saw progress.

“Without Wondo, I wouldn’t have had that shot on target, to be honest,” Coyle said. “I was going to swing and miss that ball for sure. It taught me a lot, just being in the box, creating space for myself in the box, and moving. Obviously, I have a lot to learn, but little things like this – and it’s huge – thanks to him.”

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The biggest aspect he picked from Wondolovsky, Coyle adds, is mentality. No matter the mundane workouts, no matter who’s on the field, Wondolowski absolutely hates to lose. There is no such thing as a playoff game, and no lost cause worth giving up.

Cowell said, “Wono gets out there and kills himself to touch the ball and score for us.” “That’s the thing. Once he steps on the field, he just clicks and becomes like a lion. That’s what I love about” Wondo. “He’s so good about this stuff.”

Cowell isn’t the only person grateful for the advice. At 17 years old, he’s faced with all kinds of distractions. He’s a kid from a small town too, he grew up in Ceres, California – Population: 48,000 – about five miles south of Modesto. It is the first time he has lived away from home.

“So that Wondo can spend that time teaching Cade things, not just about football, but about life? I mean, I’m forever indebted to him for that,” said Cade’s father, Depen Coyle. “It made it more comfortable for us to have people like that in his life. Since we are not just parents, but being parents far from having a son in another city, it’s hard for you to be a parent to every part of the day. It has positive effects like those in his life where he can go and talk about problems, more than even soccer, I mean, it’s very rare for someone like that to be around. “

Earthquake director Matthias Almeida equally appreciates Cowell’s guidance by Wendolovsky. Almeida has spoken in the past about how difficult it is to pressure him as a player, and the importance of attracting young players to the sponsorship side.

“I think it’s always important to have good mentors who can guide him on the right path with affection and expertise,” the director told ESPN. “In this case, I think Kidd has the historical ‘Wondo’, and he can see what he did and try to emulate or surpass what he did.”

Almeida added, “[Cowell] He knows everything I think about him, and he knows the great future that awaits him if he is smart. “

Coyle, just 17, has had two goals and three assists in six Major League matches so far this season. Darren Yamashita – USA Sports Today turn off the fire hose

Wondolowski realizes legalization of his advice to Cowell. There are limits to the amount of information a person can obtain, regardless of age. The pressures of being a professional are immense, the struggle to build confidence is never ending, and the expectations surrounding Cowell are already starting to reach stratospheric levels.

“It’s like trying to drink from a fire hose, especially with so much information getting to him,” Wondolovsky said. “So I think sometimes, just keep it simple, stupid. It works, and that’s really finding this balance where I’m trying to give him a lot of information, but also, I just want him to enjoy it as well.”

Cowell might be only seventeen years old, but he already has some functional tissue. He is someone with an endless appetite for exercise. At one point, his father had set up a backyard weight training area that he called “the prison yard” (now it’s moved back to the garage). Whenever he had free time, he would beat weights. But he almost left the game when he was 13, and it wasn’t the material losses, but the mental aspect – the endless grind of training, games and travel – that struck him. He never missed a training session, despite the 70-minute drive in every direction between Ceres and Pleasanton, as his youth club Balleste United trained.

“It was really dangerous,” Coyle said. “Like football every day, every weekend. I had no free time. Like all of my friends they used to go out and love, messing around like kids, and I could never do that.”

Cowell was involved in other sports as well, be it baseball or soccer. Given that Depin was a football player at San Jose State University at one point, the temptation to try something different, and follow in his father’s footsteps, was strong. But Depin convinced Kidd to give him another year.

That year proved to be a turning point for Kidd. He’s been a right back since he was eight years old after pulling off a fast winger from a tournament match. At that time, he didn’t feel that he had lost the pleasure of attacking.

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“To this day, I sometimes think gaming is more fun for me,” Coyle said. “I love tackling tackles, I like sliding tackle all the time. There’s something I enjoy a lot in defense.”

But before the 2017-18 season, Ballistic United U15 coach Andrew Zimmer, now the College of Marin men’s coach, needed a player to climb to the top. Looking at Cowell’s physical traits – his speed in particular – it made a lot of sense.

Coyle proved it to be a quick study.

“Our first two games, two Los Angeles teams attended,” Zimmer said. “I think he had, like, four or five goals. He immediately adopted them. But that’s the kind of kid he is. He is humble and wants to improve. So if he thinks that can make him a better player, I will do it.”

After scoring 33 goals in 32 league games, earthquakes soon came, and Cowell had been progressing the ranks ever since, changing his tune on what sparks his passion for the game. “There is nothing better than scoring a goal,” he said.

However, the smoking cessation experience almost made an impression on Cowell. He found his own way to turn off the fire hose. His vacation will see him return to Ceres to spend time with the family, or go fishing on Lake McClure when he is in need of solitude.

He said, “Just being there in the water; no one bothering me. No one calling things. It’s really comfortable.” “Just get away from everything.”

The perfect striker?

Wondolowski shakes his head when asked what he was like at the age of seventeen. At the time, he was a full five years away from signing his first professional contract. It was another six seasons before he became a full time MLS player. He even had to start his college career in Chico State. Everything about his game, from his body, to knowing what to make, and his touches, he was not ready for the ranks of the pros.

Chris Wondolowski and Kid Cowell are at opposite ends of their careers, but they each have a big role to play in San Jose. Lindsey Radnidge / ISI Images

He said of the prospect of being a pro at the age of seventeen: “I was going to take out my pants. I was going to be very scared. It just wasn’t good for me.”

Nevertheless, Wondolowski has maximized his ability during his career, relying on cunning and intelligence. So much so, that there is a line of reasoning that if you can combine the traits of both Wondolowski and Cowell into one individual, you will have the perfect striker. To some extent, the idea hurts both players.

Wondolowski is known to have never lifted weight, yet his athletic style is underestimated. At the age of 38, he won the spooky alarm test during his pre-season, beating Cowell in the process. And Cowell proves he’s more of a disciple of the game with each passing day. In the aforementioned play Against the Sounders, he indicated that if he had timed his run better and was in motion, then instead of standing still, he would have generated more power in the shot, which might have been enough to beat Frei.

But where there is a major overlap between the two is their competitiveness, work ethic, and eagerness to absorb as much knowledge as possible. This is an important basis for everything else. And if Cowell continues to plunge into Wendolovsky’s knowledge, the possibilities are tempting to ponder.

“There is no ceiling for it now,” Wendolovsky said of Cowell. Cowell knows that, too.

“I’m now in a phase where there are a lot of things that I need to improve on, and that is going to take me to a much higher level,” Coyle said. “Just keep going every day. I feel like every time I like to get better at something, there is something else. Just move on to this, and move on to that.”

If Cowell continues this, in time the apprentice will overtake the master.

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