Huicho's Ready to Collaborate
Huicho's Ready to Collaborate
Luis “Huicho” Barraza sat down with The Outfield’s Chris Campbell to discuss his newly announced contract extension with NYCFC, his development as a keeper, and all things Marquette.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Congratulations on the extension, Luis. What made you want to extend your contract with New York City FC?
Since Day One, I’ve enjoyed New York. The city, the club, the people. I’ve learned a lot from the guys around me. That was actually one of the biggest factors for me to stay. The quality of people that this club brings in and the opportunity that that gives me to grow. Not only as a player but as a person as well. And obviously the NYCFC community, the fans. I’m really thankful for everyone in the organization.
What does an extension like this mean to you personally and to your career?
You got to think about a lot of things. You go to think about you personally, the team, and where you fit in the plans.
The way that [NYCFC] plays is a style that I’ve always played. I feel really really connected to the team and to the organization. My first three years here were about learning the little nuances of the game. [I’m] learning new stuff all the time so that I can be the best player I can possibly be.
I think I’m at a point now where I’ve learned quite a bit. I’m ready to start collaborating and bringing stuff to the table that I haven’t really had the opportunity to bring in the past three years. I’m excited for the future and I’m really, really happy with my decision to stay.
You made your NYCFC debut at the end of last year against Tigres. It was a tough result, but that’s a pretty massive club to be getting your first minutes against. What was that experience like?
It was crazy. [Tigres] was a great club to go against in my first professional game. But, the lead up to the game where I’m coming back from an injury, Sean unfortunately is a close contact [in the COVID protocol]. All of a sudden, I get tossed into the starting role after two years of not seeing action on the field. It was a crazy time.
I was comfortable enough to step in and I did. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go our way, but [the game] helped me out a lot on a personal level just because that was my first professional game. That was a milestone in my career, even though the result didn’t really go in our favor.
You gave up your first professional goal to Tigres striker Andre-Pierré Gignac. That’s quite a player to give your first goal up to.
100%. You’re playing against players that have played amongst the best players in the world. It’s something that you have to reflect on, really take it for what it is, and grow from it.
Your MLS debut came this summer with Sean Johnson out on international duty. What was it like to finally get those first team minutes in MLS?
It was a new experience because it’s a league game. It’s something that I had been looking forward to for the longest time. There was just a lot of emotion. I was excited. I was nervous.
But once you step on the field and you start warming up and doing your routine, you realize that it’s nothing more than what you’ve done basically your whole life. You get out, you warm up, you do your thing, and you play the game to the best of your ability.
I was able to help out the team get three wins in the process. That’s something that I’m proud about and something that I hope to continue building on.
What is your relationship like with NYCFC goalkeeping coach Rob Vartughian and Sean Johnson? How have they helped you develop your game?
The last three years I’ve really grown really close with Sean and Rob. These are guys that have been in the league for the longest time. Coming in after the draft, since Day 1, I’ve been able to talk to them about the little things about [being a goalkeeper] from positioning to shot stopping. Anything you have a question about, they really have a good, concise answer.
Picking their brains has been a big part of my growth. It’s something that I’m really happy with and I know that I’m going to continue learning more and more stuff from them.
I’m sure you saw that the Marquette men's soccer team just took down a #1 team, Georgetown, for the first time in program history Did you watch that? How exciting was that? What does that do for the program?
I wasn’t able to watch the game, but I did see the result after. To bring down the #1 team in the whole nation that had one loss during the season. On senior night. With a senior player [AJ Franklin] scoring a really good goal in the 86th minute. And then the goalkeeper [Chandler Hallwood] making a really big penalty stop in the end [against NYCFC academy player Dante Polvara]. I was excited and I wasn’t even playing! I just messaged the guys afterwards telling them how happy and excited I was for them. Hopefully they can extend their season [and qualify for the NCAA tournament] because they’re a good team. It’s a great morale booster for them.
Do you keep in touch with the coaching staff there often?
Yeah, we try to stay in touch. I was actually able to talk to [coaching staff] a couple of weeks ago when they played Seton Hall. I was actually able to meet up with them, ask them about the guys, and the program. It seems like things are going in the right direction.
Marquette is always about building the person first and then the player. In those regards, I’m sure they’re doing what they’ve always done. It’s a program that helped me become what I am today. I’m really happy for the program and I’m really really thankful for everything that I experienced there.
A question about playing at Valley Fields [Marquette’s home pitch], whenever you were in goal there, did you ever catch the smell of yeast coming from the breweries?
Answer: Yeah, haha. 100%. That’s something that you can smell across the city. Not only in Valley Fields. Not the most pleasant of smells.
What Marquette staple do you miss the most, Real Chili or Sobelman’s?
That’s a tough question. I would like Sobelman’s better. But the place that I pulled up to more often than Sobelman’s was Oscar’s. I went to Oscar’s a lot. That was really my place.
Speaking of Valley Fields, I’ve actually scored a goal at Valley Fields, in intramural B-league soccer. I see that you haven’t scored a goal at Valley Fields.
Yeah, I mean my whole objective though was to stop the ball from getting in the back of the net. So I wish I could’ve gone back and maybe taken a PK or something.
At both Marquette and NYCFC, you’ve been very skilled with the ball at your feet. The assist you had against Montreal is something that goalkeepers don’t often do. How does it feel to be able to contribute in that aspect to the team?
It’s something that you work on and something I take pride in. Not only can you stop the opposition from scoring, but you can actually start the attack and buildup and create scoring opportunities from a goal kick or from playing out of the back.
That’s something that I grew up doing ever since I was at the Real Salt Lake academy. It’s a style that I’ve always played in, that I enjoy. Not only do you have to be in really good physical shape, but you also need to be smart with the ball and know which is the best decision. There [could be] two good decisions but you need to be able to make the best decision possible. That’s a challenge that I’ve always liked and that I’m able to continue to work on.
NYCFC has shifted how it deploys goal kicks. Before it was very methodical out of the back, and now lately it’s kind of playing longer, or sometimes the chip pass to the wings. Has there been a change in tactics over the last season, season and a half?
We look at what the opposition brings and we look at what we want to do. Based on what the other team brings, then we respond accordingly. I think we do play a little bit more direct, but with the same mentality where if we have the space and we recognize it, then we play [out-of-the-back]. If not, then we take no chances and we [play long].
NYCFC has been one of the better teams in the league defending against corner kicks. Would you attribute that particular success to anything there?
First and foremost, the amount of focus and detail that goes into organizing our set pieces. It’s credit to the players who put in practice what the coaches tell them. [Rob Vartughian] is a big piece of that. [The day before every match], we sit out and we lay out the plan. We set up the names and we know what each person has to do in a specific scenario. I think a lot of that credit goes to Rob and also to the players who take on that challenge and perform game in and game out.
It looks like you guys use a hybrid zonal-man marking system. Have you used that before and what are the strengths to using that?
I did at Marquette. It’s good because you have a group of players that are set in position to really clear the ball and then you have another 3-4 players that can really take out the opposition’s best offensive targets. For me, it’s a really good way to defend and it’s been effective. We’ve been one of the best teams defending corner kicks or set pieces.
With the extension you have now, have you and the coaching staff discussed ways to get you some more minutes going forward? I know maybe next year, the US Open Cup will be back. Have you had any of those discussions?
Yeah, here and there. Open Cup is coming back next year. There’s going to be a chance [to play] there. There’s also the chance of doing what I did this year, which is going on loan [to the Oakland Roots] during midseason break, getting a couple games, then coming back and training. It was great for me to get out to Oakland, get two games and then after that, getting the opportunity [to start at NYCFC while Sean Johnson was on international break]. I have no doubt that next year I’m gonna be playing some more games.
The MLS Reserve League is scheduled to start up next season. Has there been any discussions at all about that getting going and how that’s going to work out?
That’s something that hasn’t really been discussed. It’s still sort of a new idea and process. I’m sure the closer we get to next year, the more we’re gonna know about it.
Sebastien Ibeagha was traded away mid-sesason. Based on social media posts, it seemed like you guys were pretty close. How was that news and do you still keep in touch with Sebastien?
For sure, every day. We connect through Instagram, and we also play video games together. It was pretty wild because we were in Chicago and all of a sudden he texts me and Sean, “I’m getting traded. I just had a conversation right now and I’m leaving tomorrow”. So it was pretty abrupt. He’s been able to get some more games with LAFC, which as a player, is what you want. I know he’s happy.
Speaking of the rest of the squad, is there anyone on the team that has a nickname that we, the fans, might not know about?
We do call Alex Callens ‘peluche’. I don’t know why. But that’s something that the players and the coaches just call him.
The team is on a roll now and have won a few in a row after going through a bit of a tough spell. What’s the mood in the locker room right now as [NYCFC] approaches the playoffs?
It’s great. It’s something that we needed. We got the result in Atlanta, we came back home and got a result, we went to Miami, got the result there. It’s been a great spell of games. It’s really important for us to catch that fire, catch that energy heading into the playoffs because at the end of the day, I know the team is battle tested and we’re ready for what’s coming.
The last two home games, I’m sure you might have seen some banners in the stands with ‘Ronny Out’ and actually the last game, there was one that had ‘Deila In’ on it. How do you and the other players react when you see something like that at a home game?
Obviously, we understand how the fans feel. We feel the same way about the results. But the mood in the locker room hasn’t really changed. We’re all together, we’re all supporting each other. It’s kind of sad to see something like that because we know each other, we deal with each other every day. And we know what’s going on in the locker room, we’re all together. We’ve always been together. But we do understand the frustration, but I think that doesn’t really change anything in the locker room. We’ve always been together. ❧
Image: Pabst Brewing Company grounds, Milwaukee Public Library