Name: Juan Francisco Barraza Flores

Nickname: "Cariota"



Country: El Salvador
Club: C.D. Águila
Position: *AMF, WF, SS
Side: LF/BS
Age: 23-30 years (12/03/1935)

Height: 175 cm
Weight: 76 kg

Attack: 85
Defence: 30
Balance: 78
Stamina: 81
Top Speed: 76
Acceleration: 74
Response: 76
Agility: 72
Dribble Accuracy: 83
Dribble Speed: 78
Short Pass Accuracy: 79
Short Pass Speed: 76
Long Pass Accuracy: 77
Long Pass Speed: 78
Shot Accuracy: 82
Shot Power: 95
Shot Technique: 83
Free Kick Accuracy: 72
Curling: 75
Header: 73
Jump: 79
Technique: 82
Aggression: 82
Mentality: 77
Keeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 79

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 5
Weak Foot Accuracy: 7
Weak Foot Frequency: 6
Consistency: 6
Growth Type: Standard/Lasting

CARDS:
P20: Talisman
S05: 1-Touch Play

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Tactical Dribble - Side

Attack / Defence Awareness Card: Attack-Minded


INFO

Barraza was always a winner: “He still had the touch, both with his left foot and his right. In training, he could still strike it with either one. He would hit volleys, and you had to see how he did it—with enormous power,” recalls René Sorto, one of the fortunate ones to be coached by “Cariota” in 1983. “There will never be another like him,” he concludes. Barraza’s shots were so powerful that rumors say he once broke a goalkeeper’s hand, sending him to the hospital, and another time even tore through the net. While playing for C.D. Corona, Dragón and finally Águila, where he earned them several titles, he was idolized by soccer fans because of his technical brilliance and pure skill. Before Jorge González became “El Mágico,” the greatest player Salvadoran football had ever known was “Cariota” Barraza. Hence, the eternal debate over who is the greatest player in the country’s history. The people of the eastern region have their reasons for idolizing him. Their memories go further back—Juan is no longer sitting on the bench, coaching Águila. Now, he is on the field, wearing the orange and black, each making the other proud. “‘Cariota’ was a humble guy. A true kid from the neighborhood. He spoke through football, scoring goals; no one like him has ever been born. He struck the ball like an angel,” says Conrado Miranda, who was his pupil during Águila’s early years in the first division.

Hey, thank you for the sets! I'm aware that Barrera is considered one of the greatest Salvadoran players but I find it hard to believe that he could be this good considering that he only played in the Salvadoran league and in an era where football was very likely still at amateur level.

Since there are unfortunately no videos of him in action I had to judge his attributes based on reports from his teammates, fans, and friends (who were quite biased). So it's pretty much impossible to know how skilled he really was, but he was a fun player to add. I'll probably check around this site soon for El Salvador players from that time period to check the average skill level and will edit this set to be more balanced.

After reading more about him (e.g., how he played barefoot at the start of his career and had to adjust to playing again after buying boots), I edited some attributes. It should be more accurate now.

technique, mentality, team work and condition still too high; also I found no info about his shooting power, where have you read that he had such a powerful shoot to give him a 95 ?

Mainly here: https://www.laprensagrafica.com/deporte ... -0061.html

Also supported by old fans on football forums regarding him.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php/ ... 8350616128

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/cario ... er.508189/

And the more I think about it, the more I agree that he deserves to have his attributes reduced. Since the moment he set foot in a strong league (the Brazilian league at the time) he didn't perform very well, likely due to facing stronger defenders. But it's difficult to determine how much to reduce without any videos of him available. Maybe Tech from 86 to 82? I might reduce it further.

Again, this is my first time creating a set for a player without any videos or genuinely strong sources, so sorry if it sounds inaccurate XD. Appreciate the feedback.

Updated.