U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team Dominates U.S. Virgin Islands 22-0 to Kick Off 2025 Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers

SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA (Feb. 10, 2025) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team kicked off the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers with a dominant 22-0 victory against the U.S. Virgin Islands. The margin of victory marked the most goals ever scored by a U.S. team in World Cup Qualifying at any level, while forward Chase Adams’ 10 goals set a record for most goals by any U.S. Soccer player in a World Cup qualifying match at any level. Captain Maximo Carrizo added another four goals, while forward Chance Cowell and midfielder Jude Terry also bagged braces.

Following the first matchday, the USA sits atop Group F with three points and +22 goal differential. Cuba came from behind to defeat St. Kitts and Nevis, 3-1, in the first game of the day. The U.S. next faces St. Kitts on Wednesday, Feb. 12 (8 p.m. ET; Fox Soccer Plus, ViX). The winner of each of the eight qualifying groups advance to the expanded 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar this fall.

CONCACAF U-17 QUALIFIERS – GROUP F STANDINGS

The U.S. controlled the game from the opening whistle, outshooting the Dashing Eagles 53-0 and out-possessing its opponent 78 percent to 22. The U-17 MNT wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Cowell netted the game’s opening goal in just the second minute of play. Carrizo doubled the lead in the fifth before Adams began his onslaught with a hat trick in the span of five minutes, netting in the eighth, ninth and 13th. Forward Lorenzo Cornelius teed up the first after driving in from the left wing, the second came when Adams pounced on a misplay at the back and the third as U.S. Virgin Islands goalkeeper Ezequiel Rawlins stopped the initial attempt but the forward knocked the rebound home.

Carrizo got back on the board in the 15th and following a corner from Terry in the 19th, the ball fell to him at the far post where he played it to Adams in front of goal for the striker’s fourth.

Adams returned the favor in the 28th. Receiving the ball at the top of the box, he found Carrizo cutting in from the right side and teed up the New York City FC midfielder to finish his hat trick. Just three minutes later, Cowell slipped a ball into Adams in front of goal and while the Columbus Crew forward’s first try was stopped, he knocked the follow-up effort home. Cornelius picked up his second assist of the night in the 33rd, once again driving in from the left side and leaving it to Adams to finish from close range.

The U.S. capitalized on another set piece as the half wore down in the 40th as Carrizo lined up from 30 yards out and put a booming ball into the box. Center back Ramiz Hamouda got a head on the ball before it was parried away, but Adams hammered home the deflection. In the 41st, left back Pedro Guimaraes got on the board. After working the ball around the box, Hamouda played to Cornelius on the left wing, who slipped it back inside to Guimaraes to get the Orange County SC defender on the scoresheet.Terry put an exclamation point on the first half in the 43rd when a booming corner fell to the LAFC midfielder and he rifled it in from a tight angle.

The U.S. picked up right where it left off after the break. In the 51st, Hamouda tallied his first of the night. While the Virgin Islands ‘keeper deflected an initial ball into the box, it fell right to the Birmingham Legion FC defender and he lifted it into the back of the net. Terry outworked his marking defender on a long ball from Guimaraes in the 52nd, taking a touch around the onrushing keeper that rolled towards goal and bounced off the post and in.Adams added another in the 55th.

Carrizo netted his fourth in the 67th. Substitute winger Jamir Johnson rushed to the ball on the left side and played it into the captain. Rawlins saved the first attempt, but it bounced right back to Carrizo and he knocked it home.

Adams put a cap on his 10 goals with a pair of tallies in the 75th and 77th. First, the ‘keeper bobbled a hard cross into the box and it fell right to the striker for him to touch it home. Johnson teed up the tenth on a nice ball in for Adams from the right side. The Union forward scored one of his own two minutes later, finishing off a pass from substitute defender Jordan Griffin. Guimaraes set up Kellan LeBlanc for the USA’s final goal in the 86th, wrapping the USA’s most dominant performance ever at U-17 World Cup qualifying.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The USA’s 22-0 victory is its largest-ever at any Men’s or Women’s World Cup qualifier at any level. The previous best result at men’s U-17 qualifying was 8-0 vs. Guadeloupe at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship, the previous best result at Men’s World Cup qualifying was 13-0 vs. U.S. Virgin Islands at the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship and the previous best overall was 20-0 vs. Grenada at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship.
• The previous individual game scoring mark at U-17 World Cup qualifying was three, reached three times: Cruz Medina (2023 vs. Barbados), Gio Reyna (2019 vs. Guadeloupe), Joe Gallardo (2015 vs. Cuba) and J Perez (2015 vs. Guatemala).
• The U.S. is now 1-0-0 all-time vs. the U.S. Virgin Islands at U-17 World Cup qualifying and 28-3-7 against Caribbean nations.
• Eight players earned their first U-17 caps: goalkeeper William Mackay, defenders Jordan Griffin and Ramiz Hamouda, midfielders Kellan LeBlanc, Cooper Sanchez and Cristiano Oliveira plus forwards Jamir Johnson and Axel Uriostegui.

-U.S. UNDER-17 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Under-17 Men’s National Team vs. U.S. Virgin Islands
Date: Feb. 10, 2025
Competition: 2025 Concacaf Under-17 Qualifiers – Group F
Venue: Estadio Nacional; San José, Costa Rica
Attendance: 100
Kickoff: 7 p.m. local (8 p.m. ET)
Weather: 68 degrees, clear

Lineups:
USA: 21-William Mackay; 2-Gio Villa (14-Jordan Griffin, 46), 4-Christopher Cupps, 5-Ramiz Hamouda, 3-Pedro Guimaraes; 15-Cooper Sanchez, 8-Jude Terry (16-Cristiano Oliveira, 73), 10-Maximo Carrizo (Capt.) (7-Kellan LeBlanc, 72); 17-Chance Cowell (11-Jamir Johnson, 61), 9-Chase Adams, 13-Lorenzo Cornelius (18-Axel Uriostegui, 62)
Substitutes not used: 1-Jack Kortkamp, 12-Owen Pratt, 6-Luca Moisa, 19-Tanner Rosborough, 20-Enrique Martinez
Head Coach: Gonzalo Segares

VIR: 18-Ezequiel Rawlins (Capt.); 3-Taj Alexander (8-Aaron Delsol, 16),5-Darnell John (10-Yannic Elizee, 62), 6-Maliek Southwell, 7-Connor Bass, 9-Toryn Penders (12-Avon King III, 62), 11-Dylan Berry (13-Kolebert Feda, 72), 14-Khafri Francios, 15-Bryce Richardson, 17-Kimani Peters (4-Kallen Payne, 72), 19-Cai Gwilliam
Substitutes not used: 1-Kenji Nieves, 21-Caden Cox, 2-Matthew Day
Head coach: Dante Nicholas

Stats Summary: USA / VIR
Shots: 53 / 0
Shots on Goal: 30 / 0
Saves: 0 / 8
Corner Kicks: 12 / 0
Fouls: 8 / 6
Offside: 3 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
N/A

Officials:
Referee: Jose Valladares (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Lemus (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alfredo Chavez (NCA)
Fourth Official: Christopher Mason (JAM)