Atlanta United midfielder Ezequiel Barco was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 7 following his brace in Atlanta’s 2-0 road victory at New England Revolution on April 13.
The Argentine midfielder came on as an early substitute in the 15th minute but wasted no time to make an impact off the bench. He scored the opening goal in the 29th minute after one-timing a cross by Héctor Villalba from the top of the six-yard box into the back of the net. In the 49th minute, Barco produced some magic from just outside the box. He collected a Villalba pass, moved the ball onto his right foot and unleashed a stunning curling strike into the top right corner to double Atlanta United’s lead. Barco’s goals gave Atlanta its first win of the 2019 MLS season.
Barco becomes the third Atlanta United player in team history to receive the MLS Player of the Week award. In 2017, Josef Martinez and Miguel Almirón won the award twice each. Last season, Almirón (Week 9) and Martinez (Week 3, 14, 21, 26) combined for five weekly honors.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
Atlanta United returns to action Saturday, April 20 against FC Dallas. Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set for 4:00 p.m. EST and the match will be nationally televised on ESPN.
