HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, March 20, 2024) – Real Salt Lake (1-2-1, 4 pts., 8th West MLS) will be without electric winger Andrés Gómez this weekend in Vancouver as the Colombian National Team has selected the 20-year-old to join its London-based camp, where Los Cafeteros prepare to face Spain (Fri., March 22) and Romania (Tues., March 26). Gómez – who has started all four RSL matches so far this season, with two goals and an assist in the first 45 minutes of the 3-0 home-opening win over LAFC – made his Colombian debut in December, appearing in two friendlies and scoring once.
RSL resumes its 2024MLS campaign this weekend in Vancouver, with Gómez absent along with two other young players – playmaker Diego Luna and GK Gavin Beavers – who have been selected by U.S. Youth National Team coaches for their setups for this week’s FIFA international window.
Luna joins the U.S. Olympic Team at its Spain/France-based camp ahead of games against Guinea (Friday, March 22) and France (Monday, March 25), while Beavers is in Morocco with the U.S. U-20 Team prior to games against England (Sunday, March 24) and Morocco (Tuesday, March 26). All three players will return to Utah ahead of RSL’s next home League contest, on Saturday, March 30 against St. Louis CITY SC (kickoff 7:30p MT at America First Field; tickets available at www.RSL.com/tickets).
RSL was not originally expected to be at or even near full-strength for this week’s trip to Vancouver during the FIFA window, as several countries – Chile (Pablo Ruiz), Colombia (DF Bryan Vera, FW Andrés Gómez), Costa Rica (Bryan Oviedo), Ecuador (Anderson Julio), Paraguay (Braian Ojeda) and the United States (Fidel Barajas) had RSL names on their preliminary rosters. For various reasons, only Luna and Beavers – and now Gómez as an injury replacement for Luis Sinisterra – ended up making the final “Club and Country” callups.
