New Zealand veteran Barbarouses seeking redemption before World Cup
Barbarouses netted a goal in the crucial 3-0 victory against New Caledonia last year that secured the All Whites place at the tournament, but the experienced player with 70 international appearances understands that he is not assured a position in the 26-man squad heading to San Diego, where New Zealand will prepare for group stage games versus Iran, Belgium, and Egypt.
The forward for Western Sydney Wanderers faces competition from a group of eager young attackers based in Europe, such as Eli Just and Callum McCowatt.
He arrives following a tough spell at his club, where he has been dropped from the starting lineup at the Wanderers, who sit at the bottom of the A-League table during the closing stages of a dismal season.
"Things are not going well for the club overall, so that is a factor. However, I have enjoyed three or four years of solid performances both at club level and with the All Whites, which I hope will count in my favour," Barbarouses said to Reuters.
"I believe I am in a strong position."
He has two additional opportunities on home ground to demonstrate his value prior to the World Cup, as the world ranked 85 All Whites welcome Finland to Aucklands Eden Park this Friday, followed by another friendly match against the 55th ranked Chile next week at the identical location.
It represents an opportunity that Barbarouses is determined not to miss once more.
Unsuccessful efforts
He formed part of the team that earned qualification for South Africa 2010, yet he failed to secure selection for the finals, remaining with the reserves in Ricki Herberts lineup.
Afterwards, he contributed to three unsuccessful qualification bids for the subsequent World Cups in Brazil, Russia, and Qatar, with New Zealand suffering defeats in intercontinental playoffs on every instance.
Nevertheless, this years expanded 48-team event across the United States, Canada, and Mexico provided New Zealand with an automatic entry as the Oceania representative.
"I would describe this as my fourth genuine chance to reach the World Cup," Barbarouses stated.
"The 2010 campaign was somewhat uncertain. But this marks my fourth attempt while being a key member of the squad."
"Simply achieving qualification brought an incredible sensation," he continued. "That is the charm of football, is it not? It continually tests your resolve yet also compensates for dedication."
Redemption
Dedication is important, yet Barbarouses resilience stands out even more.
Four years back, he received a red card for a reckless tackle in a 1-0 playoff loss to Costa Rica in Doha, which dashed New Zealands aspirations for Qatar 2022.
That dismissal lingered in his thoughts for a long time, disturbing his sleep, though his strike against New Caledonia before thrilled local supporters "did provide a sense of atonement," he remarked.
The sending off "still lingers in my thoughts, honestly, but it is somewhat reassuring to realise we have completed the cycle," he noted.
"In any case, there is far too much excitement ahead to dwell on it excessively."