“The 38-year-old Cafeteros captain persevered through the national team’s dry spell but now leads a new golden generation. Mario Yepes watched the 1994 World Cup like most of the rest of us, on television. He had just completed his first professional season, helping second division Cortulua gain promotion to the Colombian top flight. He was a striker then, but new manager Reynaldo Rueda had other ideas. Yepes would be converted to center back, to play as a libero. He was big, fluid, and rangy, but never fast, even before he became slow, never the brand of Colombian burner that has set this tournament alight.” Fusion