LOGICAL and REASONABLE: Where do you think Barco is?

2020 has been a season full of wonder and mystery for Atlanta United. An unfortunate injury, a few welcome departures, and an interim manager who can’t seem to get much of anything out of the players that replaced those who were here in 2019. Some of the problems with the Five Stripes are fairly obvious, but one is a complete mystery. Ezequiel Barco appears to have disappeared.

Where did he go? He’s training, or something, maybe... his leg... hurts or is injured.

Atlanta United is above the playoff line thanks to some gritty performances where the team has been able to grind out results. Marcelino Moreno appeared and showed his quality despite never training with his teammates. This is promising, but Atlanta United still looked to be four or five passes away from creating more chances and actually looking like they’d do something to bother an opposing defense.

Barco is a player who could make a difference in this regard. The players that are available can’t do much with the possession that Atlanta United does have and moving the ball forward into the attacking third has been a struggle this year. But, he’s not here. Did he turn into a chicken? Perhaps he drank too much brain and nerve tonic and developed gigantism. He might have gotten into a scrape about whether Lord Palmerston or William Pitt the Elder was a better Prime Minister. Whatever the case, he’s not there for now. If Atlanta has any hope of doing anything in the playoffs, it’d be nice if he showed up.

Personally, I think he was eaten by a gigantic crab. 2020 had gigantic crabs right?