Carlos Andres Gomez — The Next Jewel of Colombian Football
Player Bio
Name: Carlos Andrés Gómez Hinestroza
Nationality: Colombian
D.O.B: 21/9/2002(22 years old)
Height: 171cm (5’7″)
Strong Foot: Right
Current Club: Real Salt Lake
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Right Winger
Value: 2.5 million Euros (via Transfermarkt)
Career Summary
Carlos Andres Gomez is a talented young winger who recently completed a move to MLS side Real Salt Lake from Colombia’s Millonarios FC. Since shocking the globe during the 2014 World Cup, Colombia has been able to produce exciting attacking talents like James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz, with Gomez being another young player dripping with potential. A tricky right sided winger looking to drive to goal, he was recently rated higher than more well known European attacking prospects such as Karim Adeyemi and Wilfred Gnoto in Football Observatory’s January 2023 Monthly Report. While still a raw talent, there are many reasons to be excited for the MLS’ newest young gem.
Carlos Andres Gomez was born in Quibdo, Colombia on September 21st, 2002 and spent most of his childhood playing across several youth academies across the country. Despite the rocky start to his career he was able to garner enough attention to join Millonarios FC U20s in July 2021. He initially joined the club as a left back before impressing the coaching staff with his ability to drive forward with pace and agility. More than capable as a dribbler, he soon made the switch to play as a right winger after joining the club. It would not be long before Carlos Andres Gomez made his breakthrough with the first team and debuted on November 14th, 2021. He eventually made 8 appearances for Millonarios FC during the 2021 season.
The 2022 calendar year was incredible for Carlos Andres Gomez as he was able to fulfill his potential with the first team. After making his first start during the season opener against Deportivo Pasto and went on to accumulate 34 starts in 41 appearances for Millonarios. In that time period he was able to register nine goals and four assists, making him the joint highest and joint second highest on the team for those statistics respectively. Additionally, all 9 goals for Gomez that season were non-penalty goals, which was the highest on the team for the 2022 season.
When looking further into the advanced statistics of the 2022 season, Gomez’s ability really shines through. For players under 23 years of age he is in the top 5 for both expected goals and expected assists. At the conclusion of the season he ranks in the top ten across all players for total shots, shots on target, and shots on target per 90, further cementing his ability to drive and look for goal. A more than capable dribbler, he ranks in the top 15 in the league with a dribble success rate of 41% while also ranking in the top 25 for progressive runs as he looks to carry the ball forward into the attacking third.
Gomez’s breakout season was instrumental to the success of Millonarios in 2022. The club was at the top of the table in the 2022–1, or Apertura, season before losing out in the semifinals. The club then narrowly missed out on the 2022-II, or Finalizacion, finals after coming in fourth in the league table. The club did not end the season empty handed however as it was able to win the domestic cup, the Copa Colombia, for the first time since 2011. Gomez scored 3 times in 8 appearances including the first leg of the semi finals against Independiente Medellin. His exploits helped the team qualify for the 2023 edition of South America’s most prestigious tournament, the Copa Libertadores.
Carlos Andres Gomez has been a sought after prospect for the past few months. After signing a new first team contract in September 2022, he was most recently rumored to join Red Bull Bragantino in December before the deal eventually fell through. On January 11, 2023 he joined MLS side Real Salt Lake on a five year contract for a report club transfer record of 4 million US dollars. He joins the club under the MLS U22 initiative. This league rule Initiative allows clubs to sign up to three U22 players to lucrative contracts at a reduced budget charge in order to incentivize the growth of young players across the league.
Notable Moments in Player History
14/11/2021 — Makes his first team debut v Alianza Petrolera
09/02/2022 — Makes his Copa Libertadores U20 debut v SC Internacional
12/02/2022 — Scores first goal in Copa Libertadores U20 v LDU Quito
22/02/2012 — Makes his Copa Libertadores debut v Fluminese
21/04/2022 — Makes his Copa Colombia debut v Jaguares de Córdoba
01/05/2022 — Scores his first Categoria Primera A goal v Patriotas Boyaca
22/07/2022 — Scores his first Copa Colombia goal v Fortaleza CEIF
08/09/2022 — Renews first time contract with Millonarios FC through 2025
02/11/2022 — Wins Copa Colombia with Millonarios FC
10/01/2023 — Record breaking $4 mil. transfer to Real Salt Lake in MLS
Match Analysis
When looking at his performances for Millonarios, his strongest outing was that against Independiente Santa Fe on 03-09–22. In that match he scored the only two goals in a 2–0 victory against their inter city rivals. Throughout the match he frequently would receive possession with his back to goal, on one occasion flicking the ball into the center with the outside of his right before working a pass to the nine-space and continuing his central run. The young winger often looked to the receive the ball if not directly with his back to goal then with a switch ball from the left flank. The end result would always be to drive the ball towards his fullback before cutting back and squaring a cross into the path of an attacker, if not having a look at the goal himself. In defense he often faced an opposition 4–4–2 with possession and was asked to press and harass the opposition left-back when they looked to receive the ball. An effective counter presser, he would look to receive the ball in the channels and once possession turned over he is always ready to drive and attack. On one such occasion, the left-back worked a ball into the center which Gomez was able to successfully read and make an interception, which he then looked to quickly drive the ball through the center of the pitch. After a quick one-two off of the interception he continued his run into the nine-space, received the final through ball, and poked the match opener past the goalkeeper with poise.
Given Gomez’s diminutive size and technical capabilities, he should look to continue honing his off the ball movement and his skills as a dribbler. By furthering these strengths, he can find himself in more one-on-one situations that would generate shooting opportunities in which he currently thrives. For example, one successful possession from this game involved him on the right flank looking to cut inside and working a pass to a teammate before then curving a run around his fullback and into a pocket of space. Once he received the ball in the right half area, his intelligent movement opened up the space to take a quality look on goal which ended up saved. However later in the game, the 20-year-old notched his second goal with a brilliantly timed run past the central striker, received a lobbed pass from a defender, and allowed the ball to bounce before firing the match sealing goal with his weaker left foot.
If you are interested in match highlights, follow the link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KgGzoFihQE
What’s Next
Carlos Andres Gomez is an extremely talented yet still raw talent. In order to see his development progress, he will have to make a positive transition to the MLS. The MLS is considered to be a significant step up in quality and if Gomez is capable of transitioning well, it would be a great indicator for his future potential. Additionally, Gomez should have aspirations for playing for the national team. It appears that Gomez will not be featured in the U20 Colombian national team for the South American Youth Championship later this month. However there are plenty of opportunities to excel and eventually make his first cap for the U20’s and the first team. We are all looking forward for him to do so.