| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Etienne Barbara | ||
| Date of birth | 10 June 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Pietà, Malta | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder/Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Carolina RailHawks | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Qormi | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2003 | Floriana | 74 | (8) |
| 2003–2005 | Marsaxlokk | 43 | (21) |
| 2005–2007 | Birkirkara | 59 | (31) |
| 2007–2008 | Sliema Wanderers | 23 | (8) |
| 2008–2009 | SC Verl | 18 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Hibernians | 19 | (3) |
| 2010– | Carolina RailHawks | 54 | (28) |
| 2011 | → Sliema Wanderers (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004– | Malta | 30 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 September, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Etienne Barbara (born 10 June 1982 in Pietà) is a Maltese footballer. He currently plays for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.
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Barbara started his career as a youth player with Qormi. After having been spotted by scouts following some impressive displays, he earned a move to play in the Maltese Premier League with Floriana in July 1999. Early in his career with he was often used in defensive positions and although he played 74 games with the club he only managed eight goals – all which were all scored during the 2001–02 season. In 2002 Barbara received his first call up to the Maltese national team due to a number of impressive performances for Floriana.
With Barbara in high demand he moved on from Floriana after four years of service, and joined ambitious newly promoted club Marsaxlokk on 25 January 2003. He scored an impressive 21 goals in just 43 games. Following two successful years, and a serious of impressive displays with Marsaxlokk, Barbara earned a move to join up with Birkirkara in January 2005. In two seasons, Barbara managed an impressive 31 goals in 59 appearances with Birkirkara, but was forced to leave the club in July 2007, when he was and team mate Roderick Briffa where deemed surplus to requirements, following a major reshuffle in the playing staff the club.
Barbara transferred from Birkirkara to Sliema Wanderers in July 2007, and signed a two-year deal, where he teamed up with former team mate Roderick Briffa who had joined earlier in the month. He remained with Malta’s most successful club for one season, making a total of 23 appearances and scoring eight goals, but indicated he would leave at the end of the 2007/08 season in order to pursue a career in Europe.
Barbara found his move to Europe in the shape of German Regionalliga West (IV) side SC Verl, where he signed a two-year contract. He made his debut for Verl on 16 August 2008 in a league match against Bayer Leverkusen II, being introduced in the second half as a 55th minute substitute for Waldemar Jurez.[1]
During the 2008/2009 winter break, League of Ireland First Division winners Dundalk made a move to take Barbara to play for them in the League of Ireland Premier Division. It is believed that Barbara was interested in the move, but with the player still under contract with SC Verl, the move did not materialize.
Barbara played 1117 minutes for the SC Verl (not counting cup and preparation games), without scoring a single goal,[1] and during the preparations for the 2009/2010 season, Etienne was dismissed with immediate effect for unexcused absence.[2]
Following his dismissal by Verl, Barbara was given a trial and took part in a pre-season tournament with English Football League Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, however he was not offered a contract.
On 20 August 2009 it was announced that Barbara had joined Maltese Premier League champions Hibernians. Barbara had hoped to win a contract elsewhere in Europe, but after weeks of speculation and deals not materialising, this put a host of Maltese Premier League on alert. The first to express a strong interest where Floriana, with new manager Roddy Collins reportedly offering Barbara the option of linking him with a club in the United Kingdom in January.
However Collins dropped his interest in Barbara on August 20 therefore he joined Hibernians, who were keen to sign him, likely to fill the void left by Terence Scerri, who joined Valletta. Barbara had an outstanding debut, scoring all three goals and winning the Man of the Match award in a 3-1 in over his former club Marsaxlokk. Later on the game was invaldiated.
Barbara joined United States USSF Division 2 club Carolina RailHawks on 25 February 2010.[3] He scored two goals in his RailHawks debut on 10 April 2010, in a game against AC St. Louis.[4][5] Barbara currently holds the record for most goals scored by a Carolina Railhawk in a single season for two consecutive years, scoring eight goals during the 2010 campaign, and breaking his own record with nine goals in the first seven matches of the 2011 campaign. Additionally, he is the clubs' all time leading scorer. In August 2011, he was voted as offensive player of the month, just days after he scored a brilliant hatrick. In October 2011, Etienne Barbara won the NASL Golden Ball, the award for the league’s most valuable player. Barbara received all nineteen first place votes cast by media from each NASL market. In his second season with the RailHawks, he scored 20 goals and had eight assists to win the NASL’s Golden Boot. He was also named to the NASL Best XI. Due to Etienne's great form, he has been heavily linked with a move to the MLS or another high level league. The rights to sign Barbara to an MLS club currently belong to the Montreal Impact meaning that the club would be the only team in MLS able to sign him unless Montreal trades his rights, according to the league's discovery process.[6]
Barbara made his international debut for Malta during a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying match away to Israel, which ended with an impressive 2–2 draw. He scored his first and second goals in the same match during the Malta International Tournament, when Malta defeated Estonia with a 5–2 scoreline.
Barbara scored the third of his international goals in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Bulgaria in a 1–1 draw, an equaliser to cancel out an earlier goal from Chavdar Yankov.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 February 2004 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Estonia | 1–0 | 5–2 | Malta International Tournament |
| 2. | 16 February 2004 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Estonia | 4–2 | 5–2 | Malta International Tournament |
| 3. | 12 October 2005 | Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Bulgaria | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
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