Colombian Juan David Cabezas Nunez (L) vies with italian Riccardo Saponara (R) during the Under 21 international football match Colombia vs Italia, at the Grand Stade in Le Lavandou, southern France, on June 05, 2011. AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT (Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

Houston (CBS HOUSTON) – The Houston Dynamo’s new center midfielder Juan David Cabezas will miss the team’s season opener due to a suspension carry over from the end of his playing days in Columbia in 2016 SportsRadio 610 has learned.

Cabezas received two yellow cards in the final game of the season for Independiente Medellín in 2016. The Columbian league has asked FIFA to uphold his suspension for card accumulation for the 25-year-olds MLS debut.

“We are disappointed that Juan will not be available for the first game of the season,” said Dynamo Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “As a club we put a lot of effort into appealing the suspension but we respect the ruling by FIFA and the Colombian Federation. We look forward Juan being available for selection following his one-game suspension.”

The Dynamo appealed the ruling but it was upheld on Friday with the following explanation:

“Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months that has been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely) served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic level.”

Cabezas is projected to start in the center of the Dynamo’s new 4-3-3 formation under Columbian head coach Wilmer Cabrera.

It is not clear who will start in Cabezas’ place against the Sounders.