The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Debut complete, Barco is ready to justify price
Argentine teen thankful for team, ‘beautiful experience.’
Ezequiel Barco, the most expensive transfer in MLS history, debuted in the 69th minute of Sunday’s game with Atlanta United leading 2-1.
No matter the price tag and skill level of the player, it was a difficult game for anyone to come into, much less someone who hadn’t played a competitive game in six months. It was a back-andforth game against NYCFC featuring lots of individual skill, tough tackles and controversy.
But Barco, a 19-year-old whose rights were purchased from Independiente in his native Argentina for a reported $15 million, still showed flashes of why he is considered one of the top young players in the world, in what turned into a 2-2 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“It was a tough first game to come back to, but my teammates helped me to feel comfortable on the field,” Barco said.
Manager Gerardo Martino switched the formation from a 3-5-2 to something close to a 5-4-1 when Barco came on for Kevin Kratz. Barco played on the right, Jeff Larentowicz and Darlington Nagbe in the middle, and Miguel Almiron on the left. After long periods of pressure from NYCFC, the formation eventually began to influence the game, with Barco and Atlanta United penning the Cityzens into their final third for most of the game’s final 10 minutes.
Barco finished with one shot, one chance created, one foul won and one foul conceded.
“Probably the most intense game of the year,” Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst said. “To come in late when we are up one goal and trying to kill things off is a tough ask. I thought he combined well, got into the box and made things hap- pen. Overall, a good debut and something to build off.”
It’s been a long wait for Barco, who suffered a quad injury the first week of the season during preparation for Houston, as well as Atlanta United’s fans. The #BoatShow (a reference to Barco’s last name meaning boat in Spanish) became a popular topic on Twitter among Atlanta United fans both before he signed after weeks of waiting, and then while waiting for his debut in a league game.
The crowd of more than 45,000 erupted on Sunday when Barco’s No. 8 flashed on the board as he was subbing in.
“It’s a beautiful experience to play here,” Barco said.
And, after playing 21 minutes on Sunday, he said his quad felt fine.
“I think he looked good physically,” Martino said. “He was dynamic. He was missing a little bit in his precision.”