Quick Facts
Biography
Chris Armas (born August 27, 1972) is a retired American soccer player. He is currently an assistant coach of the New York Red Bulls.
Career
College
Armas is of Puerto Rican descent. He attended Adelphi University from 1990–1993, amassing 17 goals and 15 assists over the four years, and was named an NCAA Division I First Team All-American his senior year.
Professional
After graduation, Armas spent 1994 and 1995 playing for the USISL's Long Island Rough Riders, being selected as a USISL All-Star. In 1995, the Rough Riders defeated the Minnesota Thunder in the USISL's Pro League Championship. Besides Armas, the 1995 Rough Riders also included such future MLS standouts like Tony Meola, Giovanni Savarese and Jim Rooney.
In 1996, Armas was drafted by Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round of the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft, and played a significant role in their first and second seasons. Chicago Fire acquired Armas in a trade for their inaugural 1998 campaign. It was with the 1998 Chicago Fire team that Armas emerged as an exceptional player, helping them win their first (and only) MLS Championship that year. Between 1998 and 2001, Armas was named to the MLS Best XI four consecutive times, his streak only being broken by an ACL injury that kept him out of much of the 2002 campaign; Armas was named to his fifth Best XI after the 2003 MLS season, in addition to being named the MLS Comeback Player of the Year. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2000. In ten years in MLS, he totaled 11 goals and 41 assists, plus added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
On April 19, 2007, Armas announced that the 2007 MLS season with the Chicago Fire would be his last, as he decided to retire. His retirement was made official on November 13, 2007, after spending 12 years in MLS.
International
Armas played for Puerto Rico in the 1993 Caribbean Cup. The competition was not then recognized by FIFA and so his five matches were classed as friendlies. He was therefore later allowed to switch his allegiance to the United States, for whom he made his debut November 6, 1998 against Australia. He went on to register 66 caps. Unfortunately for Armas, he did not break into the squad until soon after the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and his ACL injury came just before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, so he was never able to play for the United States in the world's most prestigious soccer competition. He was named as a standby player for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and did not feature in the final squad.
| International appearances and goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result† | Competition | Goal |
| 1998 | ||||||
| 1 | 6 November | Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California |  Australia | 0–0 | International Friendly | |
| 1999 | ||||||
| 2 | 24 January | Ramon Tahuchi Aguilera Stadium, Santa Cruz, Bolivia |  Bolivia | 0–0 | International Friendly | |
| 3 | 6 February | Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville |  Germany | 3–0 | International Friendly | |
| 4 | 21 February | Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida |  Chile | 2–1 | International Friendly | |
| 5 | 11 March | Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, California |  Guatemala | 3–1 | 1999 U.S. Cup | |
| 6 | 13 March | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California |  Mexico | 1–2 | 1999 U.S. Cup | |
| 7 | 13 June | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. |  Argentina | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 8 | 17 November | Harti Stadium, Marakkech, Morocco |  Morocco | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 2000 | ||||||
| 9 | 16 January | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |  Iran | 1-1 | International Friendly | 1–1 |
| 10 | 29 January | Estadio Municipal Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso, Coquimbo, Chile | Chile | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 | 12 February | The Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida |  Haiti | 3–0 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 12 | 16 February | The Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida |  Peru | 1-0 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 13 | 19 February | The Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida |  Colombia | 2–2 (1-2 PK) | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup | 2–1 |
| 14 | 12 March | Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama |  Tunisia | 4–1 | International Friendly | |
| 15 | 26 April | Dynamo Stadium, Moscow, Russia |  Russia | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 16 | 3 June | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. |  South Africa | 4-0 | 2000 U.S. Cup | |
| 17 | 11 June | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey | Mexico | 3-0 | 2000 U.S. Cup | |
| 18 | 16 July | Carlos Salazar Hijo, Mazatenango, Guatemala | Guatemala | 1-1 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 19 | 23 July | Saprissa Stadium, San Jose, Costa Rica |  Costa Rica | 1–2 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 20 | 16 August | Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts |  Barbados | 7–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 21 | 11 October | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbis, Ohio | Costa Rica | 0–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 22 | 15 November | National Stadium, Waterford, Barbados | Barbados | 4-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 2001 | ||||||
| 23 | 27 January | Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California |  China PR | 2–1 | International Friendly | |
| 24 | 3 February | The Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida | Colombia | 0–1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 | 28 February | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio | Mexico | 2–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 26 | 3 March | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |  Brazil | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 27 | 28 March | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Honduras | 2-1 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 28 | 25 April | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri | Costa Rica | 1-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 29 | 16 June | National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica |  Jamaica | 0-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 30 | 20 June | Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts |  Trinidad and Tobago | 2-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 31 | 1 July | Estadio Ateca, Mexico City | Mexico | 0-1 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 32 | 1 September | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. | Honduras | 2-3 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 33 | 5 September | Saprissa Stadium, San Jose, Costa Rica | Costa Rica | 0-2 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 34 | 7 October | Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Jamaica | 2-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 35 | 9 December | Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo, Korea Republic |  South Korea | 0–1 | International Friendly | |
| 2002 | ||||||
| 36 | 19 January | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California | South Korea | 2-1 | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 37 | 21 January | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |  Cuba | 1-0 | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 38 | 27 January | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |  El Salvador | 4-0 | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 39 | 2 February | The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |  Canada | 0-0 4-2 PK | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 40 | 13 February | Stadio Cibali, Catania, Italy |  Italy | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 41 | 2 March | SAFECO Field, Seattle, Washington | Honduras | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 42 | 10 March | Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama |  Ecuador | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 43 | 27 March | Osteestadion, Rostock, Germany | Germany | 2-4 | International Friendly | |
| 44 | 17 April | Landsdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 45 | 12 May | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. |  Uruguay | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 2003 | ||||||
| 46 | 8 May | Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas | Mexico | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 47 | 8 June | Richmond Stadium, Richmond, Virginia |  New Zealand | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 48 | 19 June | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, St. Etienne, France |  Turkey | 1-2 | 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup | |
| 49 | 21 June | Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France | Brazil | 0-1 | 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup | |
| 50 | 23 June | Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France |  Cameroon | 0-0 | 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup | |
| 2004 | ||||||
| 51 | 18 January | The Home Depot Center, Carson, California |  Denmark | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 52 | 18 February | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Netherlands | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 53 | 13 March | The Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida | Haiti | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 54 | 28 April | The Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas | Mexico | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 55 | 2 June | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Honduras | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 56 | 13 June | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |  Grenada | 3-0 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 57 | 20 June | National Stadium, St. Georges, Grenada | Grenada | 3-2 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 58 | 18 August | National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica | Jamaica | 1-1 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 2005 | ||||||
| 59 | 7 July | Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington | Cuba | 4-1 | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 60 | 9 July | Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington | Canada | 2-0 | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 61 | 12 July | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Costa Rica | 0-0 | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 62 | 16 July | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts | Jamaica | 3-1 | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 63 | 21 July | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey | Honduras | 2-1 | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 64 | 24 July | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |  Panama | 0-0 (3-1 PK) | 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 65 | 17 August | Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut | Trinidad and Tobago | 1-0 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 66 | 3 September | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio | Trinidad and Tobago | 1-0 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
Personal
Armas and his wife, Justine, have two sons, named Christopher and Aleksei. Armas currently serves as an assistant coach for the New York Red Bulls. Armas formerly served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Fire in 2008, and was the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University between 2011 and 2015. He also taught physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York, the high school from which he graduated.
Career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 1996 | Los Angeles Galaxy | Major League Soccer | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| 1997 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 1998 | Chicago Fire | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2000 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2001 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2004 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2005 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2006 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2007 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| Total | USA | 264 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 315 | 17 | |
| Career total | 264 | 12 | 14 | 1 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 315 | 17 | ||
Honors
United States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup (2): 2002, 2005
- U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year (1): 2000
Chicago Fire
- MLS Cup (1): 1998
- MLS Supporters Shield (1): 2003
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (4): 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
- MLS Best XI (5): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
- MLS All-Star (6): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year (1): 2003
- Chicago Fire MVP (1): 2003