TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signings
The San Jose Earthquakes have signed three academy products to homegrown player contracts, announcing Tuesday that midfielder Edwyn Mendoza, defender Oscar Verhoeven and forward Chance Cowell have joined the club’s first team.
Mendoza and Verhoeven represent the US Under-17 national team alongside fellow homegrown midfielder Cruz Medina, while Cowell has competed for the United States and Mexico at the youth levels. Cowell is the younger brother of USMNT forward Cade Cowell.
“Oscar and Edwyn have already emerged as leaders for both club and country at a young age, and Chance is a player who is close to our Quakes family and we have been keeping our eye on,” Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch said in a release.
“We’re grateful to come to an agreement on professional contacts for all three players and are excited to watch their respective promising careers develop.”
Edwyn Mendoza: What to know
Mendoza, 17, joins Earthquakes II on an MLS NEXT Pro contract for the 2023 season before becoming an Earthquakes homegrown player effective Jan. 1, 2024. His MLS contract runs through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028.
Mendoza, a left-footed central midfielder from San Jose, has made 10 appearances for the US U-17s, including four as part of the team’s run to the final of the 2023 Concacaf U-17 championship.
Oscar Verhoeven: What to know
Verhoeven, 16, joins the Earthquakes on a homegrown player contract through the 2025 season with club options through 2027.
The right-footed fullback has made 13 appearances for the US Under-17s and started five matches during the 2023 Concacaf U-17 championship, including the final vs. Mexico.
Chance Cowell: What to know
Cowell, 14, joins Earthquakes II on an MLS NEXT Pro contract for the 2023 season before becoming an Earthquakes homegrown player effective Jan. 1, 2024. His MLS contract runs through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028.
After establishing roots in Sacramento Republic FC’s academy in 2021, he joined the Earthquakes U-15 squad for the Generation adidas Cup, helping San Jose reach the Round of 16. He has been called up three times to Mexico’s U-15 squad, plus gotten looks from the US Under-15s.
