NEW YORK (Thursday, June 2, 2022) – FC Dallas midfielder Paul Arriola was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Month for May 2022.
Arriola led MLS with six goals since May 4, including a streak of scores in five straight games from May 7 to May 28. In those five games, Dallas went 3-2-0 (nine points), which was tied for the fourth-most points in MLS during that span. Of Arriola’s six goals in May, four of them came on the road, which matched San Jose’s Jeremy Ebobisse for the most away goals over that period. His seven scores in 2022 are tied for a career-best (2018 with D.C. United) and rank in the top five league-wide this season.
Arriola has helped to propel FC Dallas to a 7-3-4 record on the season, which is tied for the third-best mark in the league. FC Dallas’ 25 points through their first 14 games marks their best start to a season since 2018 (29 points).
In Dallas’ three wins during the month, Arriola scored the game-winning or game-tying goal in two of those matches. With his game-tying goal against Orlando City SC on May 28, Arriola became the first FC Dallas player to score in five straight games since Jeff Cunningham did so from September 5 - October 7, 2009 (six matches). He also joined New England Revolution forward Adam Buksa as the only players to record a goal in at least five consecutive games this season. Arriola is the lone player in MLS to produce at least 25 key passes and seven goals in 2022.
Arriola is the first FC Dallas player to receive Player of the Month honors since Mauro Díaz in 2014 (March) and the eighth different player in franchise history to earn these accolades. The last FC Dallas player to win Player of the Month in his first season with the team was Kevin Hartman in 2010 (August).
The club is back in action after the international window when they host Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, June 18 (9 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+).
MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
