Chris Armas
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Christopher Armas[1] | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | August 27, 1972 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | New York City, United States | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Colorado Rapids (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
New York Hota Bavarian | |||||||||||||||||
Brooklyn Italians | |||||||||||||||||
Frosinone | |||||||||||||||||
South Shore | |||||||||||||||||
College career | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
1990–1993 | Adelphi Panthers | 73 | (17) | ||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
1994–1995 | Long Island Rough Riders | (8) | |||||||||||||||
1996–1997 | LA Galaxy | 50 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
1998–2007 | Chicago Fire | 214 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
Total | 264 | (20) | |||||||||||||||
International career | |||||||||||||||||
1993–1994 | Puerto Rico | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
1998–2005 | United States | 66 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
2008 | Chicago Fire (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
2011–2014 | Adelphi Panthers (women) | ||||||||||||||||
2015–2018 | New York Red Bulls (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
2018–2020 | New York Red Bulls | ||||||||||||||||
2021 | Toronto FC | ||||||||||||||||
2021–2022 | Manchester United (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
2023 | Leeds United (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||
2023 | Leeds United (co-interim) | ||||||||||||||||
2023– | Colorado Rapids | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Christopher Armas (born August 27, 1972) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Youth and college
[edit]Born in The Bronx, New York City, Armas is of Puerto Rican descent and grew up in Brentwood, New York. He graduated from St. Anthony's High School and then attended Adelphi University from 1990 to 1993, amassing 17 goals and 15 assists over his collegiate career. Armas was named an NCAA Division II First Team All-American his senior year.[2]
Playing career
[edit]Professional
[edit]After graduating from college, 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.[3]
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 Fire team that Armas emerged as an exceptional player, helping them win their first 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 eleven 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.[4]
International
[edit]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.[5]
He was therefore later allowed to switch his allegiance to the United States, for whom he made his debut November 6, 1998, against Australia.[6] He went on to earn 66 caps. 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 Cup. He was named as a standby player for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and did not feature in the final squad.
Coaching career
[edit]After his retirement, he coached youth soccer and was a high school physical education teacher at St. Anthony's High School.[7]
Armas 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.
On July 6, 2018, Armas was promoted to head coach of New York Red Bulls after former manager Jesse Marsch departed the club to join Red Bull Salzburg as an assistant.[8] Armas helped the Red Bulls finish first in the regular season, winning the Supporters' Shield as a result. The Red Bulls were eliminated in the conference finals by Atlanta United.
In 2019, the Red Bulls finished sixth in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated by the Philadelphia Union in the first round of the playoffs. The Red Bulls were then eliminated in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament after they were defeated by FC Cincinnati. The team was in the middle of a scoring slump when Armas parted ways with the club on September 4, 2020, the day after a 1–0 loss to D.C. United.[9]
In 2021, Armas was hired as head coach of Toronto FC, replacing Greg Vanney, who departed the club at the end of his contract.[10] On July 4, 2021, following a 7–1 loss to D.C. United, the largest loss in the club's history and a league record of one win, eight losses and two draws, the team announced he had been fired.[11]
On December 7, 2021, Armas was hired by Manchester United as assistant coach to work under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.[12][13] He left the club in May 2022.
In January 2023, it was confirmed that Armas had re-united with Jesse Marsch at Leeds United. Armas was named co-interim head coach alongside Michael Skubala and Paco Gallardo following the sacking of Jesse Marsch in February,[14] the trio overseeing a 2–2 draw at Old Trafford with Manchester United on 8 February 2023[15] and Skubala acting as solitary interim manager in the home loss against the same opponents four days later.[16][17][18]
Colorado Rapids
[edit]On November 17, 2023, Armas returned to Major League Soccer, signing as head coach of the Colorado Rapids.[19]
Personal life
[edit]Armas and his wife, Justine, have two sons, Christopher and Aleksei.[20]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup[a] | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
LA Galaxy | 1996 | Major League Soccer | 22 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 28 | 3 | ||
1997 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 32 | 3 | |||
Total | 50 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 6 | ||
Chicago Fire | 1998 | Major League Soccer | 31 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |
1999 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
2000 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |||
2001 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
2002 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
2003 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 33 | 4 | |||
2004 | 21 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | 3[b] | 1 | 27 | 2 | |||
2005 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | |||
2006 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | |||
2007 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |||
Total | 214 | 8 | 29 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 273 | 12 | ||
Career total | 264 | 12 | 37 | 4 | 22 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 333 | 18 |
- ^ All appearances in the U.S. Open Cup
- ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup
International
[edit]National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Puerto Rico | 1993 | 6 | 0 |
1994 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 8 | 0 | |
United States | |||
1998 | 1 | 0 | |
1999 | 7 | 0 | |
2000 | 14 | 2 | |
2001 | 13 | 0 | |
2002 | 11 | 0 | |
2003 | 4 | 0 | |
2004 | 8 | 0 | |
2005 | 8 | 0 | |
Total | 66 | 2 |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Armas goal.
No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | January 16, 2000 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
2 | 13 | February 19, 2000 | Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida, United States | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–2 (1–2 pen.) |
2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Coaching
[edit]- As of August 17, 2024
Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | Ref. | ||||
New York Red Bulls | ![]() |
July 6, 2018 | September 4, 2020 | 71 | 33 | 11 | 27 | 46.48 | [24] |
Toronto FC | ![]() |
January 13, 2021 | July 4, 2021 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13.33 | [25] |
Colorado Rapids | ![]() |
November 17, 2023 | Present | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 45.16 | |
Total | 117 | 49 | 21 | 47 | 41.88 |
Honors
[edit]Player
[edit]Chicago Fire
United States
Individual
- MLS Best XI: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
- MLS All-Star: 1998, 1999,[26] 2000,[27] 2001, 2003, 2004
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year: 2003
- Chicago Fire MVP: 2003
Coach
[edit]New York Red Bulls
References
[edit]- ^ "Our Notable Alumni". Adelphi University.
- ^ "Chris Armas (2005) – Adelphi Hall of Fame profile". Adelphi Panthers. Adelphi University. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (January 14, 2021). "Surreal Experience: Repost: Armas enjoys return to Hota (2004)". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Marcus, Jeffrey (November 14, 2007). "Kicking About: Retiring, Training and Mourning". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Wahl, Grant (November 2, 1998). "Inside Soccer: Chris Armas: Man Without A Country?". Sports Illustrated. Time Warner. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Lewis, Michael (May 19, 2020). "Unsung Hero: Chris Armas and His Contributions to the USMNT". United States Soccer Federation. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Boehm, Charles (December 7, 2021). "What the discourse is missing about Chris Armas' shock move to Manchester United". MLSsoccer.com.
- ^ "Jesse Marsch leaves New York Red Bulls, Chris Armas promoted". WABC-TV. ABC Owned Television Stations. July 6, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls Fire Manager Chris Armas". Sports Illustrated. theMaven. September 4, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (January 13, 2021). "Former Red Bulls coach Chris Armas named as Greg Vanney's successor at Toronto FC". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Singh, Michael (July 4, 2021). "BREAKING: Toronto FC fire head coach Chris Armas". Waking the Red.
- ^ "Rangnick confirms new coaching staff". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Dholakia, Raj (December 12, 2021). "Chris Armas: Who is Ralf Rangnick's new assistant at Manchester United?". THE PEOPLES PERSON. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ "Trio to take chare of Manchester United fixture". www.leedsunited.com. February 6, 2023.
- ^ "Sancho earns Man Utd point in thrilling Leeds draw". BBC Sport. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Skubala to remain Leeds United interim boss for Man Utd game". BBC Sport. February 10, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Louise (February 12, 2023). "Leeds rue missed chances after Marcus Rashford sparks Manchester United win". The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Stone, Simon (February 12, 2023). "Leeds United 0-2 Manchester United: Marcus Rashford sets visitors on way to victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Colorado Rapids appoint Chris Armas as Head Coach". Colorado Rapids.
- ^ Firchau, Nick (January 27, 2011). "What Ever Happened To: Chris Armas". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Chris Armas at Major League Soccer
- ^ "Chicago Fire player registry – Chris Armas". Chicago Fire FC. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Chris Armas". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls fire head coach Armas after two years". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. September 5, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Toronto FC fires manager Chris Armas amid club's struggles in MLS". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ "1999 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 17, 1999. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "2000 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 29, 2000. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Chris Armas on Telegram
- Chris Armas at FBref.com
- Chris Armas at Major League Soccer
- Chris Armas at National-Football-Teams.com
- Chris Armas at WorldFootball.net
- 1972 births
- Living people
- American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent
- American men's soccer players
- American soccer coaches
- United States men's international soccer players
- Puerto Rican men's footballers
- Puerto Rican football managers
- Puerto Rico men's international footballers
- Sportspeople from the Bronx
- Soccer players from New York City
- Men's association football midfielders
- Adelphi University alumni
- Adelphi Panthers men's soccer players
- Long Island Rough Riders players
- LA Galaxy draft picks
- LA Galaxy players
- Chicago Fire FC players
- USISL players
- USL Second Division players
- Major League Soccer players
- Dual internationalists (men's football)
- 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
- Major League Soccer All-Stars
- Chicago Fire FC non-playing staff
- Adelphi Panthers women's soccer coaches
- New York Red Bulls non-playing staff
- New York Red Bulls head coaches
- Toronto FC head coaches
- Colorado Rapids head coaches
- Major League Soccer head coaches
- Manchester United F.C. non-playing staff
- Association football coaches
- St. Anthony's High School (South Huntington, New York) alumni
- People from Brentwood, New York
- Sportspeople from Suffolk County, New York
- Leeds United F.C. non-playing staff
- Leeds United F.C. managers
- Puerto Rican expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- Expatriate soccer coaches in Canada
- Expatriate football managers in England
- American expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- American expatriate sportspeople in England
- American expatriate soccer coaches