HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, December 6, 2023) – Three Real Salt Lake players have been selected by Colombia to represent their home nation for upcoming dates, as DF Bryan Vera and FW Andrés Gómez have been selected as Los Cafeteros senior team faces Venezuela (Dec. 10) and Mexico (Dec. 16), while MF Nelson Palacio has been invited to Colombia’s Olympic-age camp and will face Peru that week.
- Vera’s call to represent the Colombian senior team is his first-ever. The Cali-born perennial youth international has 14 appearances in recent years for the nation’s U-21 and U-20 sides. During his first RSL campaign, Vera started all 27 matches in which he appeared across MLS, Leagues Cup, Open Cup and postseason contests, scoring three scintillating goals in the late season.
- Gómez’ call is also his first for Los Cafeteros, as the young winger was originally slated for the U-23 camp in this window but instead received an invite to the senior side. Gómez made 33 appearances throughout the year for RSL across four competitions, starting 17 games, scoring one goal and providing six assists, five of which were game-winners;
- Palacio made his senior team debut for Colombia in January, the 22-year-old transferred from Atletico Nacional to Real Salt Lake this summer and made 13 appearances with 12 starts across all competitions for RSL.
The Colombian trio each joined Real Salt Lake in 2023, with Vera and GĂłmez arriving during the primary transfer window, while Palacio was joined in July by FW Chicho Arango.