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How Acquired: Acquired via trade with Jorge Campos from the Los Angeles Galaxy on 1-27-98 for Kevin Hartman,Danny Peña and an MLS player allocation
Midfielder Chris Armas will enter the 2006 campaign as the undisputed leader of the Fire, and the fact that the fourth year captain of the “Men in Red” can even enter his ninth season with Chicago on time is a testament to his passion and determination. After a 2005 campaign that saw Armas lead the Fire, become the 12 player in MLS history to play 200 League contests and re-enter the picture of the U.S. National Team, the 33-year-old Armas suffered yet another untimely knee injury, this time a torn ACL in his left knee during the Fire’s first MLS Cup Playoff contest in late October. Not surprisingly, the man described as the “heart and soul” of the Fire is ahead of schedule in his rehab, and the 10-year MLS veteran is expected to make his return to the field come opening day.
One of four “Fire Originals” on the 2006 squad, Armas has easily earned his place among the League’s all-time greats. The Long Island native has racked up an impressive array of accolades during his ten-year MLS career, having been named to five MLS “Best XI” Teams (1998-2001, 2003) and seven MLS All-Star Teams (1998-2004) while also earning the 2003 ACE MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award and 2003 Fire/Honda Most Valuable Player honor. While his individual achievements are impressive, Armas’s team-first attitude and on-field leadership has helped the Fire capture four Domestic Cup trophies – the 1998 MLS Cup and 1998, 2000 and 2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups. Armas currently ranks in the top five on the Fire’s all-time charts with 35 assists (3rd), 10 game-winning assists (3rd), 14,458 minutes played (4th), 162 games played (4th) and 161 games started (4th).
2005: Started all 22 appearances in regular season play, registering two goals and two assists … Scored the Fire’s first goal on 10-05 vs. MET in the 90th minute, sparking a dramatic comeback in a 2-2 draw that clinched the Fire’s spot in the 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs … Became the 15th player in MLS history to play in 200 regular season games on 5-28 @ RSL and marked the historic game by registering the game-winning goal and an assist in a 3-0 win … The match @ RSL marked his first multi-point game and first GWG since 10-18-03 vs. COL … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played in one postseason contest, starting and playing all 90 min. on 10-21 vs. DC in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series … Suffered a torn left ACL early in the contest, but played the entire match in helping the Fire to a 0-0 draw in the match … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played in two contests, both starts, and notched one assist in helping the Fire reach the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup for the sixth time in team history … Hit the clinching penalty kick on 8-24 @ ROC in the quarterfinals, helping the Fire advance to the semifinal round … Assisted Samuel Caballero on the Fire’s lone goal in the 34th min. @ ROC, helping the Fire earn a 1-1 draw through regulation and overtime play.
2004: Played in 21 contests for the Fire, all starts, while notching one goal and seven assists … His seven assists marked the second highest single-season total for him in the category (10 in 1998) and the second most on the team in 2004, behind only Andy Williams (9) … Registered game-winning assists on 5-1 vs. MET and 9-25 vs. NE … Registered two-assist games on 6-5 vs. DC and 9-25 vs. NE … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Registered one assist in three games (two starts) for the Fire on its run to the 2004 U.S. Open Cup Final … Came back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in just three weeks to make a substitution appearance on 9-22 @ KC in the Open Cup Final … Notched the game-winning assist on 7-20 @ CLB on Damani Ralph’s goal in the 106th min., helping Chicago to a 3-2 fourth round victory in Open Cup play … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Started three of Chicago’s four matches … Received a red card on 4-14 @ Saprissa in Leg One in the Champions Cup semifinals, forcing him to miss the return leg in Chicago on 4-21 … Scored the series-winning goal on 3-24 vs. San Juan Jabloteh in the 90th minute and registered an assist in Chicago's 4-0 quarterfinals win, helping Chicago to a 6-5 aggregate goal advantage in the series.
2003: Appeared in 25 games (starting all), registering two goals and four assists … Scored two goals (including the game-winner) on 10-18 vs. COL, ending a four-year goal scoring drought in a dramatic 4-3 win … Received MLS Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career following that performance … MLS Cup Playoffs: One of four players to start and play in all four contests … Scored the “golden goal” on 11-14 vs. NE in the 101st min., sending the Fire to its third MLS Cup Final while helping the team to its first Eastern Conference Championship … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Was one of only two players to start and play in all four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup contests, guiding Chicago to its third title in six years … Scored the Fire’s first goal on 8-6 @ MIL in the 14th min. of Chicago’s 4-1 fourth round victory.
2002: Played in only four games (starting all) after suffering an ACL tear to his right knee on 5-12 while playing with the U.S. vs. Uruguay in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup … Tallied his lone assist on 4-20 @ MET on Kelly Gray’s first professional goal in a 2-0 Fire win … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: DNP due to injury … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Played in Chicago's two-game Round of 16 series with Guatemala’s CSD Municipal, helping the team advance to the quarterfinals of the regional club tournament.
2001: Started and played in 21 games, tallying one assist … MLS Cup Playoffs: Scored one goal and one assist during the postseason … Scored his third career postseason goal on 9-29 vs. DAL and assisted on DaMarcus Beasley's goal in Game 3 of the playoffs against L.A … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: DNP on 7-17 vs. MIL (A), in the Fire’s 1-0 loss.
2000: Appeared in 16 games (starting all), tallying five assists … Assisted on Hristo Stoitchkov's first-ever MLS goal on 3-18 @ DAL … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started in all five postseason contests … Tallied the GW assist on 10-6 vs. MET as Chicago advanced to its second MLS Cup Final with a 3-2 win … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Played in three of the club’s four contests … Played 90 min. on 10-21 vs. MIA in the Open Cup Final, helping bring the Dewar Trophy back to Chicago with a 2-1 win.
1999: Started and played in 22 games, registering one goal and five assists … Named to Soccer America's Team of the Week four times (4/18, 5/2, 5/30, 9/19) … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played in all three games of Chicago's semifinals series vs. DAL … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: DNP on 7-14 @ ROC (A) in the Fire’s 1-0 third round loss … CONCACAF Champions Cup: Started all three of the Fire’s matches and logged 220 minutes en route to the team’s third-place finish in the regional club competition.
1998: Played the first 31 of 32 games and the first 2,790 consecutive minutes, registering one goal and a career-high 10 assists … Recorded his first goal as a member of the Fire on 8-21 @ COL … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played every minute of Chicago's five playoff matches … Helped shut out defending champion DC United in MLS Cup ‘98 on 10-25, as Chicago won its first championship with a 2-0 win at the Rose Bowl … Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Started in three of the Fire’s four matches in its inaugural appearance in the competition … Helped Chicago complete “The Double” by starting and playing all 90 min. on 10-30 vs. CLB in the Open Cup Final, as the Fire defeated the Crew 2-1 at Soldier Field.
1997: Started and played in 28 games for L.A., scoring a career-high three goals and five assists … Scored his first goal of the season on 7-12 vs. DC, in LA’s 3-1 win … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played in both games vs. DAL in the Western Conference Semifinals.
1996: Appeared in 22 games (starting 20) for the Galaxy, registering one goal and one assist … Scored his first career MLS goal on 9-15 vs. SJ in the 32nd min. of a 4-2 win … Tallied his first career assist on 7-21 vs. MET in LA’s 3-0 win … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played in all six playoff contests, scoring two goals … Tallied his second postseason goal during the Galaxy's 3-2 loss to D.C. on 10-20 at MLS Cup '96 … Notched his first career playoff goal on 10-10 vs. KC in the 32nd min. of a 2-1 victory in Game One of the Western Conference Finals.
U.S. National Team: Has 66 caps and two goals with the U.S. Men’s National Team … Has worn the captain’s armband three times for the “Red, White & Blue” … 2005: Returned to U.S National Team picture in 2005, helping the “Red, White & Blue” capture the CONCACAF Gold Cup crown and qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup … Played in two CONCACAF region World Cup qualifiers in 2005 (one start), helping the squad finish first in the region for the first time in history and qualify for Germany 2006 … Started and played all 90 min. on 9-03 vs. MEX, helping the U.S. to a 2-0 win that clinched the team’s berth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup … Made his return to World Cup qualifying after a yearlong hiatus on 8-17 vs. TRI, playing the second half of the USA’s 1-0 victory … Played in all six of the USA’s Gold Cup contests (four starts) and notched one assist in helping the team capture its third title in the tournament … 2004: Appeared in eight of the U.S.’s 15 games in 2004 … Started in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying contests on 6-13-04 vs. Grenada, 6-20-04 @ Grenada and 8-18-04 @ Jamaica … 2003: Played in two of the U.S.’s three games at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France … Earned his 50th career cap on 6-23-03 vs. Cameroon in the Confederations Cup, a game in which he was the team captain … Was named to the 25-man roster as an alternate for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup … 2002: Was named to the final roster for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, but an right knee ACL tear he suffered vs. Uruguay on 5-12-02 ruled him out for the tournament … Helped the U.S. capture the 2002 Gold Cup, appearing in all five matches and helping the squad to an undefeated 4-0-1 record … 2001: Appeared in 13 of 15 games for the U.S. and was a fixture on the squad during World Cup qualifying … 2000: Started and played in 14 games for the U.S. (1,200 minutes), scoring two goals and one assist for a career-high five points … Was named the 2000 U.S. Soccer Chevrolet Male Athlete of the Year for his steady play … Scored his first international goal in a 1-1 draw vs. Iran on 1-16-00 … Made his debut on 11-6-98 in a 0-0 draw vs. Australia in San Jose, CA.
Professional Career: Spent the 1994-95 seasons with the Long Island Rough Riders (USISL), helping the team to the A-League championship in 1995 … Selected as a USISL All-Star.
College: Adelphi University (1990-93) … Selected NCAA All-American his senior year… Finished his collegiate career with 17 goals and 15 assists for 49 points in 73 games played.
Personal: Family includes wife, Justine, and sons Christopher Jr. (4) and Aleksei (1) … Winning MLS Cup ’98 with the Fire is his best moment in soccer … Considers his father as his mentor and most influential figure in his life … Professionally, learned the most about soccer by playing alongside former Chicago captain Peter Nowak … In his free time, enjoys spending time with his family, going to the movies and doing magic tricks … Enjoys all types of music, but hip-hop is at the top of the list … Watches whatever his wife Justine watches on TV, which includes Survivor, Big Brother and American Idol … Movie favorites include A Bronx Tale, Cinderella Man and Rocky I-IV.
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