WASHINGTON – Jairo Arrieta has been tearing it up as of late, and for D.C. United, his fine form couldn’t come at a better time.
The former Columbus Crew SC striker teamed up with Fabian Espindola on Wednesday night to spearhead a furious second-half comeback against the Chicago Fire, nabbing a brace to lead D.C. to a 3-1 victory. With five goals over 13 games, he’s already equaled his goal total over all of last year with the Crew - with another three, he’ll equal his total for the past two campaigns.
His hot streak arrives as United find themselves in the midst of an injury crisis, and a heavily congested schedule to boot.
After Wednesday’s victory, United head coach Ben Olsen lightheartedly gave a very simple explanation for his striker’s recent run of form.
“Good coaching,” Olsen quipped with a chuckle.
Arrieta — like so many of United’s core players — was cast aside by another MLS side, considered expendable by Crew SC head coach Gregg Berhalter after the signing of Kei Kamara and emergence of Aaron Schoenfeld last season.
Olsen was half-kidding with his “good coaching” comment, but if you ask Arrieta, there may be more than a grain of truth to it. The Costa Rican seemed eager to express his confidence in Olsen and his gratitude to be part of the fold in D.C., which perhaps wasn’t always the case in Columbus.
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I think the confidence that the coaching staff and my teammates have had in me [has been crucial],” Arrieta told MLSsoccer.com in a Spanish-language interview after Wednesday’s match. “Since I arrived they’ve treated me like one of their own. That’s been important for me. Their confidence that they’ve put in me, when a player feels comfortable and feels at ease around his teammates and coaches, when you’re happy with your situation, it helps.”
Added Olsen: “Jairo can score goals. He’s done it throughout his career - he’s a true [No.] 9, and especially with Fabi’s suspension [at the beginning of the season], we were looking for a guy that fit our mold, what we’re about and is able to score goals. Fortunately he’s been able to do that for us. He likes scoring goals.
"You see him – he really, really likes scoring goals.”
That goalscoring prowess and joy at the end result was on display on Wednesday, especially on the Costa Rican’s first strike, a well-placed header off a sterling corner-kick delivery from Espindola.
Arrieta took a moment to celebrate with his teammates in the box, and then spread the love by taking a leisurely trot over to the sideline to celebrate with United's reserves, finally arriving back at the center stripe some time later. His teammates – and opponents – had already taken their positions for the ensuing restart.
“I’d promised [teammate and fellow striker] Facundo [Coria] that I’d celebrate with him if I scored today,” Arrieta said, smiling. “Not just him – with everybody on this team. That’s one of the keys to our success right now, we’ve got a great group.”
Arrieta’s role may change eventually, something on Wednesday he said he was aware of. As others in United’s group work back towards full fitness – in particular Luis Silva and Espindola, the pairing Olsen has favored as his first-choice strike partnership – Arrieta’s playing time may decrease. For now, though, the former Crew man seems eager to continue proving his worth to his teammates and coaches.
"Hopefully I can build on this,” said Arrieta, “exceed that total from the past year or two where I felt disappointed in my performance. I think I’ve got a good rhythm and have earned the coaching staff’s confidence. Right now I’m starting because we’ve had a ton of games and injuries, and I think any player understands that.
"I think the guidance that [Olsen] has given us has been crucial, but again for me this isn’t the end goal. It’s clear in my mind that I want to keep building on this and I’m hoping to achieve those goals."
