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Yeimar Goméz Andrade has earned his first-ever call-up to the Colombia national team for a pair of World Cup qualifiers in November. The 29-year-old has been enjoying a standout season for the Seattle Sounders and has established himself as one of the top defenders in MLS since joining the team prior to the 2020 season.
Estos son los convocados por @ReinaldoRuedaDT para disputar la doble fecha de noviembre de las Clasificatorias a la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Catar 2022#VamosColombia pic.twitter.com/66P4MSN0gW
— Selección Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) November 4, 2021
Colombia will play Brazil on Nov. 11 and Paraguay on Nov. 16. Both matches are being played between the end of the MLS regular season and the start of the playoffs. The Sounders will likely play no sooner than Nov. 23, regardless of where they finish in the standings.
Colombia currently occupies the last of four automatic qualifying spots in CONMEBOL’s process.
While 29 is definitely a little old for a player to receive their first national-team cap, it’s not hard to understand why Yeimar would be on Colombia’s radar. Since moving to MLS from Argentina before the 2020 season, Yeimar has established himself as one of the league’s top defenders. This year, he’s expected to compete for Defender of the Year and Best XI while ranking third in tackles+interceptions (170) and fifth in clearances (187).