Cole Campbell has been one of the standout stories of the Bundesliga season so far, and the 20-year-old American winger says a big part of his development still comes from home -- specifically, from his mother.
Rakel Karvelsson played professionally in the United States and represented Iceland internationally. Two decades later, she's still on the training pitch with her son as he makes his mark for Elversberg, the small-town club that has taken the German top flight by surprise this season.
"My mom knows so much about football," Campbell told reporters Tuesday. "Having a mom also that played football, it's great. I can also train with her, which is fun. ... She challenges me to a two-touch battle. She doesn't win anymore but in the past, when I was younger, she used to beat me. That was, I think, maybe seven years ago when I was 13. When I was 14, 15, I started to beat her."
A Bold Move That Paid Off Fast
Campbell joined Elversberg as the club's record signing in July, after his career had stalled at Borussia Dortmund. The gamble on a newly promoted side paid off almost immediately -- he scored on his first league start in a stunning upset win over former champion Bayer Leverkusen.
A nimble winger, Campbell has looked at home on a young Elversberg side that has shown it belongs at this level. Last week, the club pushed Bayern Munich hard before losing 2-1, a game in which Campbell had a goal ruled out for a teammate's offside.
"I was confused because I turned and I didn't see any of my teammates there (celebrating). So I was, like, 'OK,'" he said.
Elversberg, from a town of just 13,000 people, has built its identity around playing what the club calls "brave" soccer -- refusing to be overawed regardless of the opponent.
"The bravery for me as an offensive player is to not be afraid of going one against one, going and trying something instead of being scared and not trying it because of the reputation," Campbell said.
A Rare Mother-Son Soccer Story
Plenty of players have followed in their fathers' footsteps in the sport -- Norway's Erling Haaland, American winger Tim Weah and Argentina's Giuliano Simeone among them. But because professional women's soccer has a much shorter history, Campbell is one of the first active players whose mother built her own career in the game.
Karvelsson was part of the first fully professional women's league in the U.S., the WUSA, when it launched in 2001. She played for the University of North Carolina team that won back-to-back national titles in 1996 and 1997, and she scored seven goals in 10 games for Iceland. Campbell's father also played college soccer.
His mother's Icelandic heritage led Campbell to make his professional debut in the Icelandic league in 2021, and he briefly played for Iceland's Under-17 team before switching his international allegiance to the United States in 2024.
"I've already made my decision to switch to the U.S. It was for a lot of different reasons, but my future is with the U.S., so that's set. I have no second thoughts or anything, so that's the thing for me that's set in stone," he said.
Eyeing a U.S. Call-Up
Campbell, who is friends with U.S. midfielder and former Dortmund teammate Gio Reyna, says he has been in contact with the U.S. national team's coaching staff for the past two years.
Having watched the "amazing" World Cup crowds from afar while on vacation, Campbell hopes his form for Elversberg can help earn him a first international call-up. His next chance to make an impression comes Sunday against fellow promoted side Schalke.
"I'm just focused on trying to perform the best that I can and I'm praying that I get my first call-up, hopefully soon," he said. "That would be a dream come true for me to represent my country."
