WATCH: Xolos Star Paul Arriola Talks Club, Country and MLS

With the success of the U.S. Women’s and Men’s National soccer teams and the growth of Major League Soccer, the sport is as popular as ever in the United States. And one of its future stars is from Chula Vista.

Paul Arriola just returned to San Diego after playing with the U.S. Under-20 World Cup Team in New Zealand. At the tender age of 20, Arriola has had experiences people twice his age could only dream of.

The former Mater Dei High School student has been involved with U.S. Youth National Teams since he began play with the Under 14 club. In 2011 Arriola was a member of the U.S. Under-17 team that won the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and also played for the same team in FIFA’S U-17 World Cup in Mexico starting against Germany, Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic.

Two years later Arriola signed a professional contract with the Club Tijuana Xolos on May 2, 2013. That year he appeared in 13 of the Xolos first-team matches.

Fast forward to January 2015 where Arriola was one of only six players to play in all six of the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team matches at the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica. In the El Salvador match Arriola scored the clinching goal that secured the U.S.’s advancement to the U-20 World Cup.

Paul Arriola stopped by the NBC 7 studios to talk Club Tijuana Xolos, U.S. National teams, and MLS with NBC 7 Sports Director Jim Laslavic.