WASHINGTON ā Paul Arriola has played in both top leagues in North America and in high stakes matches with the US national team. Surely at some point, heās crossed paths with a player of Wayne Rooneyās pedigree, right?
āNot even close,ā Arriola tells MLSsoccer.com. āNot even close.ā
Playing with one of the biggest stars in world football will take some getting used to for Arriola and his D.C. United teammates, who trained with Rooney as a full squad for the first time last Friday.
As a relatively new arrival to D.C. himself, Arriola is focused on helping the Black-and-Redās record signing settle in as one of the guys.
āI think the key for me and my other teammates is to make him feel at home, make him feel a part of the group,ā Arriola says. āI told him earlier today, him coming in, it helps us as a group. ā¦ He brings a level of respect and professionalism with him and so for us itās good. It brings a lot of attention to us. It forces us to be on our toes, be sharper on and off the field. From every single standpoint itās a positive to have.ā
That attention was in evidence on Friday, when several dozen reporters covered Unitedās practice at the RFK Stadium training field, a contingent far larger than the norm. That intensified focus can only help a team that sits in last in the Eastern Conference after playing a brutal 12 of 14 matches on the road to begin the season, says D.C. captain Steve Birnbaum.
āI think that heās just going to bring guysā levels up,ā Birnbaum tells MLSsoccer.com. āEveryone wants to play better when theyāre around him. So thatās only going to make our team better, and the competition is going to make everything better for our team.ā
Arriola and Rooney spent several closing minutes of Fridayās session in discussion. From those early exchanges, and from what Arriola saw of Rooney during that first session, Arriola believes D.C.ās new No. 9 will slide easily into the most positionally flexible roster of coach Ben Olsenās tenure.
āHeās a player who obviously knows what heās doing, is very good with the ball and holds the ball up,ā Arriola says. āFor a player like myself who is active, very much like Zoltan [Stieber], Yamil [Asad] or Lucho [Acosta], we like to pass and move and pass and move. I think heās going to fit in perfect. I think heās going to complement us and weāre going to complement him.ā
And after an early season where D.C. United have dropped 13 points from winning positions, some vocal leadership out of their newest Designated Player signing would also be welcome.
āI think he comes in and automatically heās a leader, because of the experience heās had, what heās gone through, the person that he is,ā Arriola says. ā[Heās a] very respectable guy. Iāve talked to him two days now, and heās not a cocky guy at all. Heās very down to earth. He wants to be a part of the group and he wants to help us and he wants to help himself. And I think thatās awesome.ā
Says Birnbaum: āI think heās going to bring that intensity and willingness to win and do whatever it takes. And I think thatās what we need on the field.ā