Jarlan Junior Barrera Escalona (born 16 September 1995) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Atlético Nacional.

Jarlan Barrera
Personal information
Full name Jarlan Junior Barrera Escalona
Date of birth (1995-09-16) 16 September 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth Santa Marta, Colombia
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
Deportivo Cali
Number 7
Youth career
Juventud las Américas
2012–2013 La Equidad
2013 Junior Barranquilla
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2018 Junior Barranquilla 136 (35)
2019 Tigres UANL 0 (0)
2019Rosario Central (loan) 2 (0)
2019– Atlético Nacional 123 (31)
International career
2015 Colombia U20 15 (2)
2016 Colombia Olympic 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:30, 28 July 2021 (UTC)

Club career edit

Born in Santa Marta, Barrera joined Atlético Junior's youth setup in 2013, from La Equidad.[2] He made his first team debut on 7 March 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute for Edwin Cardona in a 6–0 home routing of Valledupar, for the year's Copa Colombia.[3]

Regularly used in the cup matches, Barrera was only promoted to the main squad midway through the 2014 campaign. He made his Categoría Primera A debut on 24 August of that year, replacing Jorge Ortega in a 1–0 away loss against Independiente Medellín.[4]

Barrera scored his first senior goals on 27 August 2014, netting a brace in a 2–0 away defeat of Uniautónoma, for the season's national cup.[5] His first league goal came eight days later, as he scored his team's third in a 4–3 home win against Atlético Huila.[6]

Barrera quickly established himself as a starter for the club in the following years, winning two national cups during the process. On 12 December 2018, in the second leg of the 2018 Copa Sudamericana Finals, he missed a penalty in the stoppage time which would have given his side a 2–1 lead over Athletico Paranaense; Junior lost the tournament in the shoot-outs, with Barrera being substituted off shortly after his missed penalty.[7]

Barrera joined Tigres UANL on 1 January 2019, but only eight days later, he was loaned out to Rosario Central in Argentina.[8] The deal cost Rosario $200.000 and was without an option to buy.[8]

International career edit

After representing Colombia at under-20 level, Barrera was called up by the full side's manager José Pekerman for a training squad in February 2016.[9] He appeared in two matches with the under-23 team, but was cut out from Carlos Restrepo's final 19-man list ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Personal life edit

Barrera is a relative of former footballer Carlos Valderrama.[10]

Career statistics edit

As of 28 July 2021[11]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Atlético Junior 2013 Categoría Primera A 0 0 5 0 5 0
2014 13 2 11 3 24 5
2015 25 5 8 2 3[a] 1 36 8
2016 26 4 3 1 2[a] 0 31 5
2017 35 5 9 4 5[a] 0 49 9
2018 37 7 2 0 11[b] 1 50 8
Subtotal 136 23 38 10 21 2 195 35
Tigres UANL 2018–19 Liga MX 0 0 0 0
Rosario Central (loan) 2018–19 Primera División 2 0 1 0 1[c] 0 0 0 4 0
Atlético Nacional 2019 Categoría Primera A 24 3 3 2 4[a] 0 31 5
2020 19 3 2 1 9[c] 5 30 9
2021 20 7 20 7
Subtotal 63 13 5 3 13 5 81 21
Career total 201 36 44 13 35 7 0 0 280 56
  1. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
  2. ^ Three appearances in Copa Libertadores, eight appearances and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores

Honours edit

Club edit

Atlético Junior

References edit

  1. ^ "Jarlan Berrera" (in Spanish). Atlético Nacional. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Jarlan Barrera y su pasado en La Equidad" [Jarlan Barrera and his past in La Equidad] (in Spanish). El Espectador. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Al estilo de Alexis, Junior goleó 6-0 a Valledupar en Copa Postobón" [At Alexis' style, Junior trashed Valledupar by 6–0 in the Copa Postobón] (in Spanish). Futbol Red. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  4. ^ "De la mano del goleador Cano, DIM venció 0–1 al Junior en el 'Metro'" [Thanks to goalscorer Cano, DIM defeated Junior by 0–1 at the Metro] (in Spanish). Futbol Red. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Junior confirmó primer lugar del Grupo A de la Copa Postobón" [Junior confirmed the first position of the Group A of the Copa Postobón] (in Spanish). El Universal. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Con sus goles y calidad, Jarlan Barrera se labra su camino en el Junior" [With his goals and quality, Jarlan Barrera works his way up at Junior] (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  7. ^ "El penalti que Jarlan Barrera botó en la final de la Sudamericana" [The penalty that Jarlan Barrera kicked in the final of the Sudamericana] (in Spanish). El Tiempo. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Jarlan Barrera y el novelón del mercado: Es de Tigres, pero jugará en Central" [Jarlan Barrera and the novel of the market: He belongs to Tigres, but will play at Central] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 8 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Pekerman calls-up local players with a view to WC qualifying". Oximity.com. 12 February 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  10. ^ ""El sobrino de 'El Pibe' Valderrama": así presentan en México a Jarlan Barrera" ["The nephew of Valderrama": this is how Jarlan Barrera is presented in Mexico] (in Spanish). Caracol Televisión. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  11. ^ Jarlan Barrera at Soccerway. Retrieved 17 December 2018.

External links edit