Drawing uneven parallels to the value Lionel Messi has with Barcelona, and Mo Salah to Liverpool, Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer said Ezequiel Barco’s ability to beat opponents with his dribbling skill could be crucial for the Five Stripes in its remaining MLS games.
Atlanta United will play at Montreal on Sunday with a chance to move into second place in the East. It will finish the regular season hosting New England, followed by the first playoff game two weeks later.
Barco seems likely to be in the 18 at Montreal, but may not start because de Boer said he can’t play 90 minutes yet because he is recovering from a muscle injury near his knee sustained more than a month ago in the U.S. Open Cup.
“With Barcelona, with Messi, you see how much they are struggling when he’s not there because he can make a difference,” de Boer said. “He’s dribbling one and another has to step out, so they are focusing on him. At that moment, other players can get free. In every team, Mo Salah, everywhere, there are difference makers.
“Josef (Martinez) is the weapon with his deadly finishes but also with his great runs at the right moment. He (Barco) is the one who can really play one against one. We don’t have many players like that. We need that kind of player.”
Barco’s season started brightly but has been affected by two injuries, both sustained in different U.S. Open Cup games. The first, a knee injury, happened in the Round of 16 game at Columbus. Barco missed the next seven league games. Atlanta United went 3-3-1.
Barco returned and started four of the next five league games. Atlanta United won each time he started and lost when he didn’t start.
But Barco suffered another injury in the U.S. Open Cup championship win on Aug 27 that forced him to miss the next five games. Atlanta United went 2-3-0.
For the season, Barco has four goals and two assists in 13 appearances. Atlanta United is 7-4-2 this season when Barco starts or makes an appearance. It is 6-3-1 when he starts and 1-1-1 when he comes off the bench. The team has scored 20 goals in his appearances and allowed 13.
Barco on Friday didn’t seem disappointed in his bad luck.
“I think it’s been a good year, both individually and as a group,” he said. “You can see that the team is having a good year. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, and myself individually, yeah, it’s true I’ve had to deal with some injuries, but now I’m just recovering and trying to get back to full strength and trying to help the team for this final push.”
Barco said he is working to get back to 100 percent and thinks he is close. He said it was difficult watching the team lose at NYCFC 4-1, but that he is staying positive.
“The playoffs are (coming),” he said. “The biggest games of the season. We’ve had a lot of guys injured, but the important thing is for everyone to stay calm, have a clean mind. We know that we’re going to face some difficult games in the playoffs, but we’re going to do everything we can to try to win them and compete for a championship.”
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