The United States opened expanded CONCACAF qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a record victory for the country at any level, crushing the U.S. Virgin Islands 22-0 on Monday night as Chase Adams scored 10 goals.
Captain Maximo Carrizo registered four goals in the game at San Jose, Costa Rica while Chance Cowell and Jude Terry netted two each. Pedro Guimaraes, Ramiz Hamouda, Jamir Johnson and Kellan LeBlanc claimed one goal apiece.
Adams scored in the eighth, ninth, 13th, 19th, 31st, 33rd, 38th, 55th, 75th and 77th minutes.
A native of Naperville, Illinois, Cowell joined the Columbus Crew Academy in January 2023 as an under-15 player, started last season as an amateur with Crew 2 of MLS Next and signed a professional contract last August. He scored nine goals in 19 matches in the third tier MLS Next Pro, including 13 starts.
Adams assisted on the first U.S. goal in the second minute by Cowell, a San Jose Earthquakes forward who made his MLS Next Pro debut last year. Cowell is a younger brother of 21-year-old Chivas forward Cade Cowell, who has made 11 appearances for the U.S. senior national team.
The previous record for a U.S. team was a 20-0 win over Grenada at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. The previous high for the men was a 13-0 victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands at the 2018 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship,
Cuba beat St. Kitts and Nevis 3-1 in the first Group A game. The eight group winners qualify for the expanded 48-nation Under-17 World Cup, to be played in Qatar from Nov. 5-27, and there is no knockout stage in CONCACAF qualifying. The FIFA tournament had 16 teams from 1985-2005 and 24 from 2007-23.
The U.S. Virgin Islands was outscored 33-0 while going 0-4 in 2022 CONCACAF Under-17 qualifying.
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The Associated Press
