Arrieta signed with the expansion team on April 9, 2010 and made his Major League Soccer debut a day later in the Union's home opener, a 3-2 victory over D.C. United. In total, he started in 15 of 16 games played and logged 1,343 minutes.
Prior to joining the Union, Arrieta, 31, spent two seasons with the Islanders, where he was a two-time Defender of the Year and the 2009 USL MVP. Before his stint in Puerto Rico, the defender spent 12 years playing for Italian Serie C2 and Serie B with US Lecce and A.S.D. Serbia among other Italian clubs.
Name: Cristian Arrieta
Position: Defender
Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
Born: Sept. 18, 1979
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida
Citizenship: USA/Italy
Last Club: Puerto Rico Islanders FC – USSF Division-2 Pro League
Pronunciation: Cristian ar-EE-eta
(Copyright 2010 Philadelphia Union. Reprinted by permission)
