Colombia will be using a mostly domestic-based roster to compete against the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team in the 2016 Olympic qualifying playoff series.
Head coach Carlos Restrepo named his 25-man roster, which includes only five players currently plying their trade abroad. Santos Laguna forward Andres Renteria, who has appeared in nine of the Mexican club’s 10 games this 2016 Clausura campaign, and Rennes midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero headline the foreign-based members of Restrepo’s group.
Jarlan Barrera of Colombian club Junior and Rafael Santos Borre of Deportivo Cal are also two notable inclusions on the roster. Barrera and Borre did well for Colombia in CONMEBOL’s qualifying tournament for this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The U.S. has yet to unveil its roster for the series, but will travel to Barranquilla, Colombia, for the first leg on March 25 before hosting the second leg four days later at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Here is Colombia’s full roster for the upcoming playoff series:
GOALKEEPERS: Alvaro Montero (San Lorenzo, Argentina), Cristian Bonilla (Atletico Nacional), Luis Hurtado (Deportivo Cali)
DEFENDERS: Jherson Vergara (Livorno, Italy), Cristian Borja (Santa Fe), Jaine Barreiro (Santa Fe), Luis Orejuela (Deportivo Cal), Felipe Aguilar (Atletico Nacional), Davinson Sanchez (Atletico Nacional), Yerry Mina (Santa Fe), Deiver Machado (Millonarios), Helibelton Palacios (Deportivo Cali)
MIDFIELDERS: Raul Loaiza (Patriotas), Juan Pablo Nieto (Atletico Nacional), Felipe Roa (Deportivo Cali), Juan Fernando Quintero (Rennes, France), Yony Gonzalez (Junior), Jose Leudo (Deportivo Pasto), Wilmar Barrios (Deportes Tolima), Andres, Jarlan Barrera (Junior)
FORWARDS: Andres Renteria (Santos Laguna, Mexico), Roger Martinez (Racing Club, Argentina), Rafael Santos Borre (Deportivo Cal), Cristian Dajome (Deportes Tolima), Harold Preciado (Deportivo Cali)
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What do you think of Colombia’s roster? Who do you expect to make the U.S. roster?
Share your thoughts below.
we will know ours a day before the game……
Barreiro is the only regular of the Santa Fe group, but as midfielder.
Hurtado, Palacios, Roa, Precidio and Borre all regulars for Cali, Borre has 4 goals in 5 appearances and Precidio has 3 in 5.
Bonilla has started 2 out of 6 for Nacional, Sanchez has played 4 out of 6, but as midfielder.
Barrera has played in 5 games, 3 as a starter for 1st place Junior.
Barrios and Dajome are both regular starters for Tolima, but the team is in 19th place.
Martinez has played in 6 for Racing Club starting 3 and scoring 3 goals across all competitions.
Montero has not played for San Lorenzo.
Quniterro has started 9 and played in 12 for Rennes scoring 1 goal, he played 20 for Porto last season scoring 2 goals.
Renterria is in Santos regular forward rotation scoring 22 goals since joining the team in 2013.
The Columbian season is just 8 or 9 games in so keep that in mind with the domestic stats.
much appreciated. from your stats and bit of reading up on these guys sounds like we could (depending on our roster) hold a slight edge in goalkeeping and defense but this roster has some quality midfielders (Quintero, Barrios, Barrera) and forwards (Rentarria, Borre, Preciado).
up to Hertzog to call in the best players possible, and keep that first leg a low scoring game as much as possible.
I think the more important question is can Herzog make our boys play a cohesive game?
It’s Colombia meathead!!!!!!
Apologies, I was in hurry after spending way too much time researching the players. I am surprised I didn’t also spell all the players names incorrectly. Colombia.
well Done Mr. Razor
What do i think of the roster? Who knows. Doubt that many follow the Colombian league enough to know if these guys are important players there.
Based purely on the line-up of clubs for which players play, I think our roster will be equal or better. To be fair, I have no idea if these guys play very prominent roles in their clubs. Still, I think there is nothing that screams at me that we are huge underdogs. I think the key would be for our boys to go out there with a strong belief that they should or at least can win.
Soooo, based in your ignorance we’re better?
If you have nothing to say……..
Lol, what can you offer?, one thing is for sure, it could have been worse!
I was surprised more don’t play abroad but if we play Herzog-ball and just lump it forward like a team from the 1980s English fourth division, we won’t have a chance regardless of opposition.
Wow, I have been called ignorant by Rob! There is nowhere to go for me but up from here.
Yikes.. That is a talented group of players. Interested to see who we go with.
And a great gaffer too.
Yet I find it encouraging that so few play abroad. I imagine they will be very skilled with the ball at their feet, however.
Unlike their American counterparts young Colombian players are not desperately trying to go abroad. Their pay is decent, and most importantly, their development chances are much better at home than most anywhere else.
Rob criticizes Americans for going abroad and he criticizes them for staying home. At least he’s consistent.
I also love it that Rob thinks they get paid well in Colombia! Average pay in the league is under $200k a year. I am sure most young players earn less than average. And this is assuming they actually get paid. What a creative way to take another dig at MLS by posting an ignorant comment to an article that has nothing to do with MLS! Rob at his best!