This Tuesday, the player Andrés Perea, former Nacional player with a trial in the Colombian National Team, received FIFA confirmation for the change of league and may represent the United States. The player who signed with Orlando City in 2020 was a World Cup with Colombia and has already received his call-up to the US U-23 team.
Through its official website, the United States Football Association announced the news: “FIFA has given Andrés Perea a unique request to change the association to represent the United States.
Perea was born in Tampa, Florida, and is the son of former soccer player Nixon Perea. At the age of 5 he left for Colombia and from a very young age he joined the basic forces of Atlético Nacional. Represented the national tricolor at the World Championships of India in 2017 (category juniors) and Poland U-20 in 2019, where Colombia reached the quarter-finals. He made his professional debut in 2017 with the purslane, and in 2020 he was signed by Orlando City.
He had an impressive MLS campaign and the fact that he was a US citizen piqued the interest of senior coach Gregg Berhalter and Jason Kreis, who are in charge of the U-23 team. After finishing work with Orlando City, Perea was invited to camp in December.
Weeks later, he submitted a one-time alliance request to FIFA to represent the United States in the future. The global football governing body has granted the request, ”the federation reported.
The defensive midfielder received the official call-up and joins the US team this month in the midst of preparing to find a place at the Tokyo Olympics.
In his social networks, the player expressed what it means to play for the United States: “It was a very important decision for me. Colombia is my country too, but it is an honor for me to represent the United States like me. did in the past with Colombia. ” .
In a video published by the US team’s official account, Coach Gregg brings the news to Perea and welcomes them to the “brotherhood.”