Esequiel Barco

Esequiel Omar Barco (born 29 March 1999) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Argentine Primera División club River Plate, on loan from Major League Soccer club Atlanta United.

Esequiel Barco
Barco playing for Atlanta United in June 2018
Personal information
Full name Esequiel Omar Barco[1][2]
Date of birth (1999-03-29) 29 March 1999[3]
Place of birth Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Argentina
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[4]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 River Plate
(on loan from Atlanta United)
Number 21
Youth career
0000–2015 Jorge Griffa
2015–2016 Independiente
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Independiente 38 (5)
2018– Atlanta United 81 (17)
2022– → River Plate (loan) 69 (9)
International career‡
2017–2019 Argentina U20 9 (2)
2021 Argentina Olympic 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:45, 23 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13:44, 28 July 2021 (UTC)

Born in Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Barco began his career with Independiente. He was promoted to the first team and made his debut during the 2016–17 season. Barco played two seasons with Independiente before signing with American side Atlanta United in 2018. At the international level, Barco has represented Argentina at the under-20's.

Club career

Independiente

Born in Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Santa Fe, Barco joined Independiente's youth setup in 2015 from AA Jorge Bernardo Griffa. Promoted to the first team by manager Gabriel Milito in July 2016, he signed his first professional contract later that month.[5][6]

Barco made his first team – and Primera División – debut on 28 August 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jesús Méndez in a 1–0 away win against Belgrano.[7] He scored his first professional goal on 11 September, netting the last in a 2–0 home defeat of Godoy Cruz.[8]

Barco finished his first senior season with four goals in 30 league appearances. As a starter during the 2017 Copa Sudamericana, he scored the equalizer in the second leg of the Final against Flamengo through a penalty kick.[9]

Atlanta United

On 19 January 2018, Barco joined Major League Soccer club Atlanta United as a designated player.[10] The transfer fee paid by Atlanta United was reported to be $15 million, an MLS record.[10] Barco made his debut for Atlanta United on 15 April 2018 in a 2–2 draw against New York City FC, coming on as a 70th minute substitute for Kevin Kratz.[11] He scored his first goal for the club on 5 May 2018 against the Chicago Fire. He scored the opening goal as Atlanta United won 2–1.[12]

Barco was on the bench for Atlanta United during MLS Cup 2018 against the Portland Timbers.[13] He came on as a substitute in the first minute of second-half stoppage time as Atlanta United won 2–0.[13] Barco then won his second trophy with Atlanta United when the club won 3–2 over América in the Campeones Cup, coming on as a late second-half substitute.[14] A couple of weeks later, on 27 August, Barco was a starter in the U.S. Open Cup final against Minnesota United, helping his side win 2–1.[15]

River Plate

On 30 January 2022, Barco joined Argentine Primera División side River Plate on loan[16] with an option to make the move permanent at the end of 2022 or 2023.[17] On 10 February 2023 it was announced that Barco's loan to River Plate would become permanent on 1 January 2024.[18]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 10 May 2023[19][20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Independiente 2016–17 Argentine Primera División 304—1040354
2017–18 Argentine Primera División 81—20123224
Total 385—30163578
Atlanta United 2018 Major League Soccer 2645021—335
2019 Major League Soccer 154303050264
2020 Major League Soccer 152——40192
2021 Major League Soccer 25 7 1 0 — 3 1 29 8
Total 8117905112110719
River Plate (loan) 2022 Argentine Primera División 35 3 — 3 0 7 2 45 5
2023 Argentine Primera División 15 4 — 1 0 3 1 19 5
Total 50 7 — 4 0 10 3 64 10
Career total 169299012138722827

Honours

Independiente

Atlanta United

River Plate

Individual

References
  1. "El particular error de Barco con su nombre" (in Spanish). Diario Olé. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  2. "Football BARCO Esequiel - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". International Olympic Committee (IOC). 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  3. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Argentina" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
  4. "Esequiel Barco" (in Spanish). Club Atlético River Plate. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  5. "La joya del Rojo firmó ayer su primer contrato" [The pearl of the Royo signed yesterday his first contract] (in Spanish). Diario Río Negro. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. "Así juega Esequiel "El Turri" Barco, la joya de Independiente que "encara como Bochini"" [This is how plays Esequiel "El Turri" Barco, the Independiente pearl who "faces it like Bochini"] (in Spanish). La Nación. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  7. "Independiente ganó con gol de Rigoni, justo un ex-Belgrano" [Independiente won with a goal from Rigoni, precisely a former Belgrano player] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  8. "Independiente le ganó a Godoy Cruz y lidera el torneo" [Independiente defeated Godoy Cruz and lead the tournament] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  9. "Soccer-Independiente win Copa Sudamericana after draw in Rio". Reuters. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  10. "Atlanta United completes MLS-record deal for Esequiel Barco". ESPN. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. "Atlanta United 2–2 New York City FC". Soccerway.
  12. "Chicago Fire 1–2 Atlanta United". Soccerway.
  13. "Atlanta United 2–0 Portland Timbers". Soccerway.
  14. "Atlanta United 3–2 Club America". Soccerway.
  15. "Atlanta United 2–1 Minnesota United". Soccerway.
  16. "Official: Atlanta United loan Ezequiel Barco to River Plate for 2022". mlssoccer. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  17. "Esequiel Barco, new River Plate player". caRiverPlate.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  18. Patrick, Joe (10 February 2023). "Source: Ezequiel Barco to move to River Plate on permanent transfer in 2024 following current loan". Dirty South Soccer. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  19. Esequiel Barco at Soccerway
  20. "Esequiel Barco - Major League Soccer". Major League Soccer.
  21. "Atlanta United 2, Minnesota United 1 | 2019 US Open Cup Final Recap". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  22. "Atlanta United 3, Club America 2 | 2019 Campeones Cup Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  23. "2018 MLS All-Star Roster". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  24. "2019 MLS All-Star Roster". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
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