Darrius Barnes has emerged as a consistent, dominant part of the Revolution back line. Photo/Kari Heistad
By Julian Cardillo
Darrius Barnes has done a little bit of everything over the last four weeks, and it appears as though he’s only just getting started.
Barnes, 28, a now 8-year Major League Soccer veteran, slotted into central defense for the Revolution’s home opener versus the Montreal Impact in place of a suspended Jose Goncalves, played well and helped his team preserve their first shutout of the season, then switched to right back the following week against the San Jose Earthquakes and assisted on Kelyn Rowe’s game-winning goal, then preserved another shutout at elevation last weekend against the Colorado Rapids.
Barnes is a tireless worker—a finesse player both in the middle of the Revolution’s back line and on its flank—and is eager to earn his fourth straight start this Saturday at Gillette Stadium versus the Columbus Crew.
“I’m going to go out there and do a job, to the best of my ability,” said Barnes in a phone interview after the Revolution’s Thursday morning training session.
Barnes’ best has been translating as of late. He leads the team in average blocks per game and the defense in passing accuracy. The Revolution haven’t lost a game with Barnes in the starting lineup; the only goal they’ve allowed with Barnes helping patrol the back has come from the penalty spot. And while the Revolution’s three-game unbeaten run has been furnished by sterling performances up the spine of the field from goalkeeper to striker, Barnes’ consistency on both the right flank and in central defense has been hard to ignore.
Not that Revolution coach Jay Heaps hasn’t taken this into account. Following the victory over San Jose, Heaps praised Barnes’ performances and said it just wouldn’t have been right to take him out of the starting 11 once Goncalves returned.
But for Barnes, seeing playing time hasn’t always been as straightforward. His field appearances dwindled in 2012, when he made 12, then dipped more in 2013 when he made six. The Revolution re-signed Barnes that off-season to a new contract, opting to keep their veteran presence on the back line. Since then, Barnes has continued to slot in whenever asked, and has been a reliable part of an ongoing competition for starting minutes.
“In this league, you never know what will happen,” said Barnes. “But this team gave me my first chance so I try to go out and repay that faith.
“I’ll let the chips fall where they may. I love the locker room and I love the team. But you don’t see the light without going through some of the dark days.”
There’s always been a beautiful simplicity to Barnes’ style of play. He’s not a bulldozer or a speedster. He’s just good at being vigilant in front of his net, opting for the play that makes the most sense rather than going for something audacious.
He’s unselfish, too. Though he’s scored two goals in his long career—which is common for most defenders—he’s not in any hurry to add more. Barnes’ assist to Rowe against San Jose displayed both his athleticism, as he corralled a long freekick by Chris Tierney by knocking down off the turf with his head, as well as vision, seeing Rowe in an open position at the back post.
He did something similar last season as well in a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo, opting in a split-second to pass to Lee Nguyen, a better shooter, instead of having a go himself from close range.
“We’re a team that likes to have it in the final third, we have plenty of guys that can punish teams so I just try to get the ball to the attacking player,” said Barnes.
“I like to make the simple play and I don’t like overcomplicating things. I’m not flashy, I just want to do my job.”
If you want to reach Julian, email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo
