WASHINGTON ā If any singular moment has captured the essence of Paul Arriolaās first full season with D.C. United, it was one that immediately followed a crucial 3-1 win over Atlanta on Sept. 2.
Luciano Acosta scored a brace to lift D.C. to a crucial victory in their playoff chase. And having just finished his first MLS start as a right back, Arriola took yet another new role, on behalf of the FOX Sports sideline crew.
āThey just asked me if I could translate,ā Arriola recalled. āI was just kind of like, āOh, yeah, Iāll go do it.'ā
Thought of primarily as a attack-minded winger prior to the season, Arriola has played a box-to-box midfield role this year, and on Sunday found himself at right back again in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire.
Because of a season-ending injury to Oniel Fisher, thereās a strong chance Arriola will remain there when D.C. host FC Dallas at Audi Field on Saturday (4:55 pm ET | Univision ā full TV & streaming info). Itās a luxury most teams wouldnāt expect from a player with Arriolaās U.S. national team pedigree.
āYou donāt know how many players ā¦ [are] not willing to embrace a new role or a moment in a selfless way,ā said D.C. coach Ben Olsen after the Atlanta match. āHe didnāt even think about it. It was like, āAll right, letās go.āā
Not by design
This certainly wasnāt the vision outlined when Arriola decided to sign and transfer from Liga MX side Club Tijuana in August 2017.
Well before the addition of attackers Wayne Rooney, Yamil Asad and Darren Mattocks, Arriola viewed his move to D.C. as a chance to prove he could be a more productive winger on offense. The DP tag added some wanted pressure.
āYou want to provide for the team,ā Arriola said. āYou want to give back and be the player that not only provides energy, but provides things that make differences in the game.ā
By statistical measures, heās succeeded, bagging 7 goals and 8 assists in a campaign made more complicated by D.C.ās varying positional needs.
āIāve been very happy with myself, and Iāve been able to kind of do a lot of things,ā Arriola said. āI didnāt think that I would start out being a starting right back at the moment, and I didnāt think I would be playing as a center midfielder at any time in the season.ā
No U-S in T-E-A-M?
Arriola on USMNT duty in the 2017 Gold Cup | USA Today Sports Images
Where his willingness to be versatile could complicate matters is on the international front.
After playing his customary wide midfield position in the USMNTās 2-0 friendly loss to Brazil last month, Arriola talked with interim coach Dave Sarachan and decided to leave camp early to play for D.C. in a midweek game against Minnesota.
He doesnāt believe that decision contributed to his omission from the team selected for October friendlies against Colombiaand Peru. But he admits he left the Brazil game feeling slightly uncomfortable with his performance.
āThere were certain things that I wasnāt so used to anymore,ā Arriola said. āIād been playing center midfield for a while in a system thatās very different, and then I started to play out wide here which is completely different than playing out wide for the national team.ā
Ironically, it was Arriolaās desire to be a part of the youth national program a decade ago that first convinced him being flexible was a good thing.
A forward growing up on the Southern California youth scene, coaches pushed him to transition to a wide midfielder and then an outside back as he climbed the regional structure towards the US youth national teams.
āIām thinking, well, if I want to be on the national team, Iām going to do my best at this position,ā Arriola recalls. āTheyāre telling me this is where they see me. Iām not in charge here. Iām going to do my best to be on the team.ā
LuchoRoo -- and Paul, too!
Arriolaās assets may be harder to discern for those understandably mesmerized by the partnership Rooney and Acosta have forged.
Acosta is making a strong case for award consideration with 9 goals and a team-leading 16 assists. Rooney has proven he has plenty left in the tank with 9 goals and 7 assists in 16 appearances. If that leaves Arriola as a third man of sorts, he insists heās cool with it.
āFor me, if they talk about Lucho and Wayne, itās better,ā Arriola said. āIt takes pressure off the rest of the team, and these guys are playing great.
āWhen Iām playing great, itās awesome, and when people want to interview me and talk about me itās cool. But if they want to talk about Lucho and they want me to go in and translate for him, I have no problem with that.ā