Growing up, Paul Arriola’s biggest dream wasn’t actually to be a professional soccer player. The thought was there, of course, but, in some ways, it never seemed real. His biggest dream did. It was right there in front of him, more than professional soccer ever would be. Arriola’s dream? To be a player for the San Diego Padres, and not just any San Diego Padre. No, Arriola wanted to be Eric Owens
No disrespect to Owens, but that’s a pretty unusual dream. This isn’t Tony Gwynn we’re talking about here. The former outfielder hit just 26 career home runs. He’s a lifetime .264 hitter. He’s no All-Star or Hall of Famer; he was just a guy who made a real impression on a local kid out in San Diego.
“He always had on eye black,” Arriola recalled to GOAL. “He always had tar on his helmet and he always got dirty. He was only there for a little bit, but I just loved how dirty he got. I played baseball for a bit. I wore my socks high and I got dirty. I’d wear my eye black all over the place. I just loved it.”
Arriola never became Eric Owens, but he did turn into a hell of a player himself. He earned 50 caps with the U.S. men’s national team while winning two Gold Cup trophies. He’s an MLS All-Star. He could have, and still feels should have, gone to a World Cup, but more on that later.
Arriola has navigated the whirlwind of his soccer career, which has now carried him to Seattle. Traded to the Sounders this offseason, he went through a period of introspection before embracing the move with excitement.
Now 30, Arriola knows that, as a player, he’s closer to Owens than Gwynn these days, and he’s fine with it. As he begins life with the Sounders, Arriola has accepted that, at this point in his career, he isn’t “the guy.” He’s surrounded by like-minded players, ones he’s known for years like Jordan Morris, Christian Roldan, and Jesus Ferreira. Now playing at one of the most consistently successful clubs in this hemisphere, Arriola knows his role is to put on that metaphorical eye black and get dirty.
“I think that the mentality is putting the team first,” he tells GOAL. “At this point in my career, that’s the most important thing. It’s just about keeping that idea of a championship consistently in my mind and understanding what is and what is not so realistic. It’s not realistic for me to have a breakout year and get sold for millions to a Premier League team, but that is the case for some other guys, right? Younger guys play well, they have the opportunity to go somewhere else. For me, it’s about fitting in. It’s about being the best player that I can be in whatever system.”
Ahead of the MLS season, Arriola joined GOAL Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene, to discuss his big move to Seattle, his lowest moment, and his ambitions going forward.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.