Paul Arriola at Swansea City (on loan from DC United)

Has it paid off though? With Bradley? Jozy has the goals and looks like a pretty damn good goalscorer for them. How's the profits been since he and Bradley's move?

 

If you are talking about MLS on-field impact, Bedoya and Bradley are at about the same level. Bedoya is rated slightly higher on Whoscored and leads US CM in tackles + interceptions which are the key defensive midfielder stats.

If you don't think that Bedoya has a big enough impact as a DP then what about Bradley?

 

As a DC fan, I'm pretty happy about this. As a Nats fan, I'm not.

Ben Olsen doesn't develop young players. Najar was a great prospect, but then, he wasn't in DC for too long. Hamid took a Great Leap Forward the year Preston Burpo was the GK coach, and has stagnated since he left. Kitchen had several years of slow and steady growth, and he looked like the hair (get it?) apparent to Beckerman. But in his last season in DC he regressed to average. Birnbaum's improvement has been limited. Deleon's development is nearly zilch since his rookie year. DC has a good year when the scrap metal they collect hangs together. When it doesn't, well, they stink. They don't have a good season when their young players collectively raise their game, because that never happens.

If it was one or two young players, it's probably on those individuals. But it's each and every one of them except the one guy who isn't a field player. That means it's Olsen.

 

It looks like the initial reports of Arriola's salary were high according to this FFT piece
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https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/feat...urce=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_m_medium=t

Initial reports put Arriola's deal at $1 million in salary, which would have put him at a number few MLS-developed players reach. That kind of number would have highlighted a trend I've written about before, which is that players who come back to the league from overseas often have salary numbers that better reflect the global market.

The reported $1 million number was inaccurate, however.... The 22-year-old Arriola is going to make an average of $675,000 over the next three years

 

that makes far more economical sense. Thanks for posting.

 

And automatically eligible for a UK work permit, even if the US FIFA ranking drops out of the top 30.

 

Wish he had gone to Europe instead of MLS when he had the chance... lost those years of development. I don't know that I've seen much growth in his game between Tijuana --> D.C.

 

Really hard to see DC sell unless the offer is just that good or they can work a loan back until December.

Losing Arriola now would cripple the team during the first full Rooney year especially if they transfer Acosta this window as well.

If anyone deserves a move it’s Paul though. Dude gives 100% and agreed to come to the club during the worst of times.

 

Tyler Boyd and Weah will be high-class playing wingers this season,

How do you keep Arriola in the US lineup for the old boys?


" Mulitple European teams for Arriola"

call me skeptical until it happens.

 

Are you suggesting someone is fabricating his European interest so that some organization of fans can keep him in the starting line up?

 

The team isn't a real threat to do anything other than make the playoffs right now anyway.

 

With as bad as the east is winning the conference isn’t totally out of the conversation. I don’t think they will but I also don’t see them throwing away one of the Rooney years. Selling Arriola effectively ends the seasons hopes.

Replacing two DPs on short notice is a y’all task. Assuming they transfer Acosta as well.

 

With all due respect, it is out of the question.

 

It did allow him to get enough NT caps to qualify for a WP though. We don't know if it would have taken time to break into the rotation had he went elsewhere.

 

Unless that middle Eastern team is stumping up crazy money I can't see them selling Acosta. I don't see a coach being anxious to lose Arriola given his workrate, especially in the middle of the MLS season.

 

I'm not saying we should sell Arriola, but when he arrived, it was clear he was planning on/hoping for MLS as a short term thing.
I do hope we sell Acosta though. He's been garbage recently and will leave for free at the end of the year.

 

They missed their window with that PSG move.

 

If you don't see a difference between Arriola now and Arriola two years ago, you might not have watched him regularly. His ability off the ball is leaps and bounds better and has been a key part of his interplay with Pulisic. I would argue his touch and offensive skills have also improved.

 

I don't watch DC very often, but I was consistently impressed with Arriola's first touch and close control during the Gold Cup. His final action, whether that's a shot, cross, or whatever, needs work, but that's true for ~99% of players.

 

Yes, I don't disagree with that at all. His shooting is lacking. But when I think of him when he arrived at DC United, and where he is now... it is not the same... markedly improved.

 

Arriola is an interesting player. He's not unlike this generation's Frankie Hedjuk. Despite holes in his game (mostly with the final ball), he's a favrotie of coaches and teammates, does a lot of things right, works his ass off, is very hard to beat defensively, and can still occasionally come up with the big play. That being said, Arriola's final product is improving.

Hedjuk was polarizing with the USMNT fans while he was playing but was missed tremendously when he retired. I suspect the same will be the case for Arriola.

I don't think Arriola will always start for the USMNT but I suspect he will have a place on the 23 for years to come.