Foul Atlanta United’s Barco at your own risk

Ezequiel Barco didn’t seem pleased after Atlanta United’s training session Tuesday.

His team didn’t win the 6-on-6 short-field games that typically conclude training sessions. The team will play at Toronto on Saturday in a game it needs to win to stay in the playoff chase.

He walked over to participate in his pre-scheduled interview, only to be called back because the team was gathering about 50 yards away to celebrate Alan Franco’s birthday with cake, a new tradition at the club. Barco walked halfway, watched the cake get destroyed and then came back to the corner of the building. He shook off whatever had displeased him at the end of training and adopted a professional approach to the questions.

One of the questions was about teams hacking at him from “pillar to post,” as Atlanta United President Darren Eales described it last week. Again, Barco gave a professional’s response.

“There has been a lot of fouls in the last few games, but you just have to take it as part of the game because the players are always going to try and cut out the player with those kind of fouls, so you just have to get on with it,” he said.

This season, Barco has been fouled 77 times in 1,695 minutes. The total number of fouls drawn is the second most on the team behind Marcelino Moreno (83 in 2,226).

There are many reasons why the two are fouled so frequently, sometimes intentionally, particularly in Barco’s case. Atlanta United leads MLS in possession (58.2). The team with the ball the most likely will get fouled the most. Despite ranking seventh on the team in touches, Barco is third on the team in touches (508) in the attacking third of the field, which is a sign that when he does have the ball, he may be creating trouble for opponents. With career-highs in goals (7) and assists (6), he does provide reason to worry ... and to hack him down. Lastly, he is second to Miles Robinson on the team in duels won. He’s putting himself into positions to suffer fouls.

Centerback Anton Walkes said defenders will foul intentionally for several reasons, such as, is the player with the ball in a position to hurt you, does their team have more numbers than mine, is the player faster than you.

Barco often checks at least one of those boxes, particularly when he’s dribbling the ball directly at the opponent’s back line.

“It solves a bit of a problem,” Walkes said. “So I think that’s why teams are slanted toward him.”

Drawing fouls may not be great for Barco’s physical health, but it can serve the purpose of forcing opponents to dial down their pressure for fear of a player picking up a first or second yellow card, as well as resulting in free kicks. Those situations can help Atlanta United unlock defenses that are playing as many 10 men behind the ball because it presents a no-pass, no-movement needed goal-scoring opportunity.

Barco ranks second behind Moreno in fouls drawn that lead to a shot attempt (11), and he leads the team with 12 shots from free kicks. From those 12 shots he has scored three goals, not including a shot that forced an own goal, nor does it include his only successful penalty kick. They are his first three goals from free kicks since joining Atlanta United before the 2018 season. Barco is tied for third in MLS in goals from set pieces this season behind Sporting KC’s Johnny Russell (4) and Columbus’ Lucas Zelarayan (5).

“Every time he steps up, you’re thinking this could be a goal, you know, that’s something that we hadn’t seen previously,” Eales said last week.

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