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Behind the Stripes

Ezequiel Barco

By Atlanta United FC

April 25^th, 2019

He was just an 18-year-old kid from Sante Fe, Argentina, but Ezequiel Barco already had the world at his feet. He had gone from Academy prospect to Copa Sudamericana star in just a couple years, a meteoric rise that had caught the attention of clubs from all over the world. He was still a kid, but a life-changing decision was at the top of his mind.

“It was difficult, because Independiente was a club that gave me everything,” he says. “But sometimes you have to take a new challenge."

If you ask him, he’ll tell you that opportunity was thanks in large part to his father, who he says introduced him to the sport and then always pushed him to take his game to the next level.

“My only memory as a child was when my dad was my coach. I always remember that and I’ll always carry that in my heart. He was very important in my professional career because he helped me take the first steps. It’s tough to have him far away, but thank God I can bring him here often and that makes me happy.”

There were other options for him but there was a new project in Atlanta, an ambitious one, called Atlanta United. They weren’t MLS Cup Champions yet, still just a process with potential. But he knew the moment he arrived that he had made the right choice.

“When I came, the city motivated me,” he says. “It was a very nice place to live, very special. And then the club and the fanbase, it all just makes me very happy. I think I found myself with a very good group and adapted quickly to Atlanta.”

Barco is a man of few words – he’s polite and humble to the cameras but has always been one to let his play do the talking. Last year he couldn’t do that. For one of the first times in his career, he faced an unfamiliar obstacle: with Atlanta United flying at the top of the league, he found himself often out of the Starting XI. But he put his faith in an old adage that remained true: it’s not about whether you face adversity, it’s how you respond.

“Last year I wasn’t playing in the final months, it was tough personally,” he says. “But I was always happy for the group and supporting the team trying to win the championship, which we did.”

And make no mistake: Barco still played a big part, bringing energy and tenacity off the bench as an impact player for Atlanta United during their championship run. And now in his second season, he’s taken off from there, consistently the driving force for the Five Stripes attack. And just like last season, it’s just another challenge to overcome.

“I think it’s a special opportunity, a new opportunity and you have to try to show it every day to show the coach that you can be one of the starters and that’s what I’m working for. I just try to be calm on a personal level, progressing every day to get better on the field and to help the team with what it needs.”

And once again, he’s taken the challenge head on, showing the sparkling skill and sizzling pace that caught the eyes of the world back in Argentina. But again, he redirects the praise back to his teammates for helping him grow.

“My teammates and the coaching staff, they do a great job of supporting me and providing me confidence,” he says. “Every time I step on the field I try and do the best that I can and do what they are asking of me.”

So while the season hasn’t started the way he or his teammates have expected, it’s just the next challenge to overcome –– and Barco has shown nothing if not the ability to do just that. Fortunately for him he has a constant reminder of what they’ve achieved, and what they hope to achieve again right on his shirt: a golden star above their crest that signifies an MLS Cup champion.

“It makes me so happy that Atlanta United has a star on their shirt this year. It’s an honor that you have to enjoy every game. We’re going to do everything we can this year to give Atlanta another star on the kit and hopefully we’ll have success.”

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