From spending the last few years on loan and watching most games from the bench to being the undisputed starter. What a refutor of adverse opinions turned out to be Nahuel Barrios, el Perrito. The 24-year-old midfielder, 1.56 meters tall, knew how to become a key player for Rubén Darío Insúa’s San Lorenzo in this Professional League, being a real bet by the DT who opted for him when everything indicated that his cycle in Boedo was about to end. come to an end.
The Ciclón campaign is far from earning the suffix “ón” but it has been more than acceptable considering the weak previous tournaments and the institutional chaos of the club, those that moved the focus of the fans towards the table of averages. With just one defeat in the first 12 dates -the team that lost the least along with Atlético Tucumán- but with the exaggerated number of eight draws, San Lorenzo found some stability and even dares to dream of getting into the next South American -six points Hurricane, the last to be classified, in the annual table. And part of the rise of the Ciclón is supported by performances such as those of the striker Adam Bareiro, the midfielder Jalil Elías, the lateral Agustín Giay and, of course, the Perrito.
Barrios had an epic debut in the First Division more than five years ago: he entered the Copa Libertadores match against Universidad Católica de Chile 40 minutes into the second half and gave his team the agonizing victory with a headed goal.
From there he added a few games, most with a few minutes on the court, until in 2020 he was loaned to Defense and Justice for six months and, shortly after his return, he was loaned for a year to Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero.
He returned in mid-2021, but only with the arrival of Insúa did he know how to find his place in the squad: it was not easy because he was one of the players to be transferred, either through a sale or loan, in the last transfer market.
However, the scarcity of resources in a squad with many youths and few reinforcements, together with the good performances of the Perrito in the practices, caused the long-haired Gallego to bet on him and already on the first date, in a decision that caused controversy. , made him enter in the absence of half an hour by Agustín Martegani.
From there he added minutes from the bench until in the sixth game, against Barracas, he surprised as a starter and, justified by a level that made him the best of the team, he did not come out again.
Barrios accompanied the performance with two goals (in the last four games), a shot from outside the area against Unión and a formidable bombshell for the agonizing draw against Talleres, and with tireless physical wear to help in the recovery despite being positioned in the left sector of the attack.
His contract expires in December and the sports secretary, Matías Caruzzo, has already started negotiations to extend it to the one who stands out as one of the most experienced on the squad despite his 24 years: in total he has played 84 games with the Barça shirt and converted seven goals.
Time will tell if Barrios will be able to sustain this good level, but his present is great news for a Ciclón in transition since he went from being relegated to a key player thanks to a DT who gave him a chance that already seemed like a utopia (he had added just 32 minutes in the 14 games of the League Cup in the first semester), and he even got a standing ovation in the tie with Estudiantes at the Nuevo Gasómetro, when he had to come out with a contracture that the fans hope will not make him lose the game. match this Friday, against Patronato in Paraná.
