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Chris Armas, a product of St. Anthony’s High School, fielded several scholarship offers before choosing Adelphi University. The former Brentwood native went on to earn All-American honors at Adelphi and was the 2000 U.S. Soccer/Chevrolet Male Athlete of the Year. As a member of the Chicago Fire in MLS, he ranked among the country’s soccer elite.
During his four seasons at Adelphi, Armas helped guide the Panthers to three NCAA appearances. During his freshman year, the Panthers set a school record for most wins in a season (14) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. As a senior, he led Adelphi in scoring with 17 points (7G, 3A). He was an All-American and All-New York State selection and was voted team MVP. He finished his career with 17 goals and 15 assists for 49 points.
In 1996, Armas was drafted by Los Angeles Galaxy and played a significant role in their first and second seasons. Chicago Fire acquired Armas in a trade for their 1998 campaign. It was with the 1998 Chicago Fire team that Armas emerged, as he helped them win their first MLS Championship that year. Between 1998 and 2001, Armas was named to the MLS Best XI four consecutive times. 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. In ten years in MLS, he totaled 11 goals and 41 assists, plus added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
On the U.S. National Team, Armas registered 66 caps from 1998-2005. He wore the captain’s armband on multiple occasions, including for his 50th cap against Cameroon on June 23rd, 2003. He was named to the final 23-player roster for the U.S. World Cup team traveling to Korea for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but an ACL tear in his right knee ruled him out for the tournament.
Armas and his wife Justine have two sons, Christopher and Aleksei. He was named the head coach of the women’s soccer program at Adelphi in 2011.
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