RENTON, WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced the 2024 MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire, with Sounders FC defender Yeimar Gómez Andrade named to the annual list. Every year, the MLS Best XI recognizes the league’s top players at each position as determined by members of the media, MLS players and MLS club technical staffs. This is Yeimar’s second time receiving the honor, having also been named in 2021. He joins Chad Marshall (2014 and 2018) and Raúl Ruidíaz (2020 and 2021) as the only Seattle players with multiple Best XI selections.

Yeimar is one of three defenders on this year’s list, alongside Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira. The central defender made 28 of 30 matches for the Rave Green in the 2024 MLS regular season, helping anchor a backline that allowed only 35 goals – the fewest in MLS – while also leading the league with 13 shutouts, 11 of which came with Yeimar on the field. The Colombian international was third in MLS with 82 clearances and second for Seattle with 93 challenges, all while winning 70% of his aerial duels, the greatest rate on the squad. He scored once in league action, in a 1-1 draw with archrival Portland on Decision Day (October 19). The 32-year-old is the second. old is the second Sounders FC defender to be recognized during the 2024 MLS Year-End Awards process, as fellow centerback Jackson Ragen was named a finalist for 2024 MLS Defender of the Year, finishing third in the voting behind Moreira and Alba. Yeimar was also voted Sounder FC’s 2024 Defender of the Year by his teammates for the fifth consecutive season.

Sounders FC’s 2024 season came to an end on Saturday evening, with a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Final at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Rave Green concluded the 2024 season with a record of 22-13-12 in all competitions, going to their sixth Western Conference Final in club history. The Galaxy will meet the New York Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup Final on Saturday, December 7 (1:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes).