Chase Adams’ ten-goal haul in USA’s 22-0 trouncing of the US Virgin Islands sent records tumbling and American soccer fans’ pulses racing.
The 16-year-old’s remarkable performance helped USA kick off the Concacaf FIFA U-17 World Cup™ qualifiers in style – and they went on to clinch a spot at the global finals with a 100-per-cent record.
Incredibly, it was later revealed Adams had been struggling with a stomach bug the night before he left opposition defenders feeling queasy with his devastating centre-forward display.
“Obviously it didn’t have that much of an effect!” he quipped after the game.
Indeed, no US player at any level has ever scored more goals in one game during a FIFA World Cup™ qualifying match.
Adams’ desire to represent to represent his country, even when his preparation was severely disrupted by illness, is illustrative of his mentality. His belief he could have scored even more goals offered another insight into the Illinois-born striker’s psyche.
“I missed two or three shots,” Adams told CBS Sports. “One of them I was very upset with! But I’ll take a lot of confidence from that game. I showed I have the ability to finish. I scored goals with my left foot, with my right and my head. There was a good variety, so I was proud of that.”
While Adams didn’t feature in USA’s next game – a 7-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis – he was back for their crucial final group match against Cuba. He was swiftly back on the goal trail, with his close-range first-half finish setting his team on their way to a 2-0 win which rubber-stamped Qatar 2025 qualification.
As well as his ruthlessness in front of the net, Adams boasts impressive strength and power, while his elusive movement allows him to regularly enter optimal scoring positions. Given his set of attributes, it is perhaps unsurprising he looks up to Manchester City and Norway superstar Erling Haaland.
“He’s my idol kind of because how I look and play,” Adams said. “The way I run sometimes, the way I score, my physicality… People started calling me baby Haaland! I don’t quite have the hair, and I don’t think I ever will! The biggest thing [I admire] is the mentality – he just keeps going, and he doesn’t stop. He always wants more. And his ability to finish and the power he has is just insane compared to almost everyone else in the world.”
Adams plays his club football for Columbus Crew 2 – he scored ten goals for his team in the 2024 MLS Next Pro season – and the teenager set out his ambition to get his first senior minutes this year.
In November, his attention will turn to the U-17 World Cup finals, where he believes USA can be title contenders. The Americans’ best performance at the competition to date was back in 1999, when a team featuring the likes of Landon Donavan and DaMarcus Beasley finished fourth.
“We want to show we have the talent to play against all the top countries, whether that’s Brazil, Spain, England or Argentina,” said Adams. “We want to show we can compete with them and we have the ability to win the World Cup.”
