In 1973, he earned his only national team cap as a second-half substitute for Bob Rigby in a 2–0 loss to Israel.[7] National team coach, Gordon Bradley, had called Arena into the national team for an earlier game against Haiti, but Arena could not get time off from his job teaching at a local junior high school.[8] In addition to his single cap with the U.S. soccer team, Arena also played for the national lacrosse team which won the 1974 World Lacrosse Championship and finished runner up in 1978.[9][10]