Strong, agile, fast, smart, skillful, young, and with great touch. Those are some of the characteristics of Inter Miami center back Andrés Reyes. The 20-year-old Colombian player joined the Club in February 2020 via a one-year loan with an option to make the transfer permanent, and despite it being his first experience plying his trade outside his home country, he’s made a strong impression after playing just 90 official minutes wearing the Inter Miami colors.
The Puerto Tejada, Colombia, born center back started his career in the youth ranks of Atlético Nacional before going on to make his professional debut with the first team in a match in the Colombian first division against Once Caldas, being selected to the starting eleven and playing 51 minutes. Reyes ended 2018 on a high note as a member of Atlético Nacional’s Copa Colombia 2018 winning side.
His performances throughout his first matches as a professional player caught the eye of the national team, earning him a call-up for Colombia’s U-20 team that participated in the CONMEBOL U-20 South American Championship which took place in January and February of 2019. In the competition, Reyes proved to be key for the team, playing seven out of nine matches, forming part of a defensive line that only allowed three goals, scoring a goal and helping the Cafeteros seal their qualification to the 2019 U-20 World Cup.
In the U-20 World Cup, Reyes once again took a leading role, playing four out of Colombia’s five games in the tournament as they reached the quarter-finals. He scored a goal in the round of 16 match against New Zealand, which they ended up winning 6-5 on penalties.
Most recently, Reyes has been a member of his country’s U-23 side, taking part in the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic tournament that was played in January and February of 2020, in which Colombia finished fourth. The center back also appeared in the team’s friendlies against Argentina in September and Japan in November 2019. Overall, the defender played 11 matches for the U-20 side and to this point has three appearances for the U-23 team.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Reyes continued gaining minutes on the pitch and experience with Atlético Nacional during the Clausura and Finalización tournaments of the Colombian first division. Under the management of head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, throughout the year the defender developed the touch and ball control that characterize him. Overall, in his time as an Atlético Nacional player, he played 19 league matches before taking on a new challenge in his career.
On February 12, 2020, Inter Miami made Reyes’ signing official via a one-year loan with a purchase option. Since his arrival at the Club, the young center back hit the ground running to earn his place in the team, while also showcasing all of his talents. One small sample is an athletic bicycle kick goal that he scored during preseason training, impressing his new teammates.
So far, Reyes has played 90 minutes for Inter Miami, starting and playing the full game against D.C. United in the second MLS match in Club history. The center back’s performance gave the fans something to be excited about, as he exuded confidence in defense, looked comfortable with the ball at his feet and displayed his speed and intelligence when intercepting balls and joining the attack. In the match, the Colombian registered one shot on target, 31 successful passes, three tackles, three interceptions, four clearances and 11 recoveries.
Some great news for Club fans is there is still a lot to come from Reyes in South Florida. Playing under an accomplished head coach like Diego Alonso, the 20-year-old Colombian central defender will seek to continue growing as a player and keep performing at a high level on the pitch for Inter Miami.
