Paul Arriola’s mad dash into European club soccer almost a month ago went like this: fly overnight to London, take coronavirus and fitness tests, practice two days with second-division Swansea City, debut in a lopsided match against probably the best club in the world, then dive into a pitched battle for promotion to the Premier League.
Arriola’s whirlwind fulfilled a long-standing wish of playing overseas. He joined Swansea City on a short-term loan from D.C. United, a move facilitated by the teams having common investors.
“Even though I would’ve felt okay going through my career without ever playing in Europe, it’s nice to be here getting exposure and getting into games,” Arriola said.