FRISCO, Texas - From helping the U.S. qualify for the 2022 World Cup to leading FC Dallas' attack in style, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola are now heading to their maiden MLS All-Star game together.
We're just past the midway point of the 2022 season and both players are enjoying the most prolific seasons of their careers. With 11 goals, Ferreira is tied for second in the MLS Golden Boot race while Arriola has chipped in with eight of his own – surpassing his previous career-best of seven which he achieved with D.C. United in 2018. Individually, they're playing as well as anyone else in MLS. Together, they've formed the most potent duo in the league, leading all teammate pairings with 19 combined goals.
"It's amazing to have a partner that you’ve been going through a lot with this year, especially with the National Team, him moving to Dallas and having a partnership here, it's great," Ferreira said. "The way that we did it, just working together, assisting each other and scoring goals, it feels good."
"I definitely couldn’t have done it without him (Ferreira)," Arriola said. "He was a key part of me coming to Dallas and I’m just really happy for both of us to enjoy the experience together."
This first All-Star appearance has been a long time coming for Arriola. The 27-year-old Chula Vista native joined the league in 2017 after breaking through with Tijuana in Liga MX. He added 23 goals and assists through his first two full seasons with D.C. before an ACL injury halted his progress. Arriola added a respectable 10 goals and assists in 20 appearances during his 2021 comeback campaign. But it would be his last in the nation's capital.
During this past offseason, FC Dallas and new coach Nico Estévez made headlines with a league-record trade (worth a reported $2 million in General Allocation Money) to bring Arriola to Dallas. It may have raised eyebrows at the time but Arriola is well on his way to paying the investment back in full. The winger has elevated his game and combined his renowned work rate with a newfound efficiency in front of goal. And it didn't take long. Beginning in May, Arriola scored in five straight games (six goals in total) for the first time in career to earn MLS Player of the Month honors.
"Individually, my execution in the final third and scoring goals has always been my Achilles heel and something that people have knocked me for and this year I’ve been able to put away my chances," Arriola explained. "Besides that, I’ve been doing what I’ve always done in that past. So, that’s the one thing that I’ve upped this year that’s helped me.
"To be a part of my first All-Star game is something special. I think it’s from all the hard work that’s been done by me and my teammates who’ve helped me get to where I am and to have the season that I’ve been having."
Ferreira's story is much more familiar to the FC Dallas faithful. The eldest son of club legend David Ferreira, Jesús joined the FCD Academy as an 8-year-old and progressed through the system until signing a Homegrown contract in 2016. Success soon followed. Ferreira became FC Dallas' youngest-ever goal scorer in 2017 when he found the back of the net on his debut, aged 16 and 161 days.
Five years on, Ferreira has added 28 more goals and 20 assists in Dallas' colors, while also making his case to be the U.S. Men's National Team's starting striker for the 2022 World Cup. But that can wait. Right now, Ferreira has his eyes fixed on next month's All-Star game where he'll yet again make history: David and Jesús Ferreira will be the first father-son duo to play in the MLS All-Star game. And only 12 years apart.
"It’s something that we always wanted to do, to break records," Ferreira said. "The first thing was coming to the club and signing a deal here, at the same club as my dad. Now to be able to say I’m an MLS All-Star like my dad, it’s an amazing honor."
