Alejandro Bedoya

Alejandro Bedoya

Bedoya with the Philadelphia Union in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Alejandro Bedoya [1]
Date of birth	(1987-04-29) April 29, 1987 (age 36)
Place of birth	Englewood, New Jersey, United States
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [2]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Philadelphia Union
Number	11
Youth career
	AYSO
2001–2003	FUTSOC
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	Fairleigh Dickinson Knights	35	(13)
2007–2008	Boston College Eagles	37	(14)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Örebro SK	65	(8)
2011–2012	Rangers	12	(1)
2012–2013	Helsingborgs IF	21	(6)
2013–2016	Nantes	87	(11)
2016–	Philadelphia Union	219	(23)
International career‡
2010–2017	United States	66	(2)
Medal record Representing   United States Winner CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013 Runner-up CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 Men's Soccer
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 30, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 14, 2017

Alejandro Bedoya (born April 29, 1987) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer, and serves as their captain. ^[3]

Early life

Bedoya, of Colombian descent, was born in New Jersey and raised in Weston, Florida, ^[4] where he played youth soccer for local clubs; the AYSO club: Weston Fury, ^[5] and FUTSOC USA ENIGMA Elite. ^[6] In high school he won a state championship while playing for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2005. ^[7] His father, Adriano, played professional soccer in Colombia with Millonarios, and his grandfather, Fabio, played for Deportes Quindío. ^[8]

Club career

Bedoya in 2013

Örebro SK

Although college seniors often enter the MLS SuperDraft, Bedoya explored options abroad. In late 2008, he signed a contract with Swedish club Örebro SK and joined the club on January 7, 2009. On April 6, he made his debut for Örebro SK coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute. He scored his first goal for Örebro SK when he gave the team a 1–0 lead against Assyriska FF in the Svenska Cupen. Over the course of the season, Bedoya worked his way into the starting line-up and became a mainstay at central midfield in Örebro SK 4–3–3 formation. In February 2011, Bedoya was given a trial at English Premier League side Birmingham City, but was not signed. ^[9]

Rangers

On July 21, 2011, it was announced that Bedoya had agreed to personal terms with Scottish club Rangers, pending the approval of a work permit, ^[10] with a view to joining in January 2012, once the Allsvenskan season was finished. However, Örebro SK and Rangers agreed an undisclosed fee on August 17, 2011, allowing him to join Rangers immediately. ^[11]

Bedoya made his debut as a second-half substitute in a Scottish Premier League match against Aberdeen on August 28, 2011. ^[12] He scored his first Rangers goal in a 5–0 victory over Dundee United on May 2, 2012, to help secure second place for the Glasgow club. ^[13]

Helsingborgs IF

When Rangers entered administration, Bedoya signed a short-term contract with Allsvenskan champions Helsingborgs IF on August 10, 2012. ^[14] On August 18, 2012, in his debut with the club, Bedoya scored an overhead kick goal in his team's 2–1 loss to Elfsborg. He started both games for Helsingborg in the home-and-away series against Celtic in the UEFA Champions League; the Swedish champions were eliminated on a 4–0 aggregate. Helsingborg were sent into the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage where they finished in third place and Bedoya scored two goals against Hannover 96 and FC Twente. ^[15] Bedoya received a number of offers after his contract expired with Helsingborg but decided to stay for at least another six months. ^[16]

Nantes

On August 7, 2013, Bedoya joined newly promoted Ligue 1 side Nantes. ^[17] He went on to make his first Ligue 1 appearance for Nantes against reigning champions PSG on August 25, 2013. ^[18] Bedoya's first goal for the club came in Nantes' 1–0 victory over AC Ajaccio on October 19, 2013, when he scored the only goal three minutes from time to extend the club's winning run to four games in a row. ^[19] Following the match, his manager, Michel Der Zakarian, praised Bedoya for his intelligent play and technical excellence. ^[20] Bedoya scored his second goal for the club, and first at Nantes' home ground the Stade de la Beaujoire, on December 3, 2013, notching Nantes' equalizing goal in an eventual 2–1 victory over struggling Valenciennes. ^[21] Bedoya continued his scoring run on December 6, 2013, netting the game's only goal in Nantes' defeat of Marseille, a result which lifted Nantes into fourth place and caused the sacking of Marseille manager Élie Baup. ^{[22] [23]} On February 10, 2016, Bedoya scored the winning goal with a header in the 118th minute for FC Nantes in a Coupe de France match against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. ^[24]

Philadelphia Union

On August 3, 2016, Bedoya joined Philadelphia Union from Nantes for a reported $1 million transfer fee as a designated player. ^{[25] [3]} He started all ten appearances for the Union during the remainder of the 2016 and scored two goals, including the lone playoff goal against Toronto FC. ^[26]

For the 2017 season, Bedoya became the Union's captain, taking over for Brian Carroll. ^{[27] [28]} Becoming a mainstay of the Union's midfield, Bedoya was early on deployed as a center attacking "number 10" as the team continued to search of a dedicated player for that position. Bedoya would settle into a more familiar role on the right wing and as a midfield shuttler as the Union's tactics transitioned through the next few seasons. ^{[29] [30] [31]}

On August 4, 2019, Bedoya scored in the third minute of a 5–1 victory for the Union over D.C. United at Audi Field and celebrated by taking an on-field microphone to say "Congress, do something now. End gun violence," in response to recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. ^[32] His statement, which was aired live on Fox Sports 1, resulted in national attention but no punishment or fine from the league. Bedoya also won the MLS Player of the Week for his performance during the match. ^[33]

Bedoya signed a contract extension with the Union ahead of the 2020 season through 2021, with a club option for 2022, however he would no longer be a designated player. ^{[28] [34] [35]} The 2020 season proved to be the most successful to date. Despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bedoya captained the Union through to the semi-finals of the MLS is Back tournament and finished with the best league record of the season earning the team's first trophy, the 2020 Supporters' Shield. ^{[36] [37]}

In September 2022 the Union announced they had signed Bedoya to a new one-year deal through the 2023 MLS season. ^[38]

On February 1, 2024, the Union announced they had once again signed Bedoya to another one-year contract through the 2024 MLS Season. ^[39]

International career

Alejandro Bedoya representing the U.S. soccer team at the 2011 Gold Cup semi-final match

Bedoya was part of the United States U-23 national team preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics; however, he was not selected for the squad that traveled to China. ^[40]

On December 22, 2009, Bedoya received his first call up to train with the senior United States national team. Training in Carson, California began for Bedoya and the other players called up on January 4, 2010, leading up to a friendly match in Carson against the Honduras national team on January 23. In the 61st minute of this match, when the U.S. was down 3–0 and was playing with ten men, Bedoya earned his first senior cap. ^[41] Bedoya was named to the preliminary 30-man roster for the 2010 World Cup and played against the Czech Republic in a tune-up friendly, but was cut from the final 23-man roster. ^[42] He earned his first international start in a friendly against Brazil in August 2010. He was added to the 23-man roster for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup when Benny Feilhaber was unable to play due to an injury sustained while playing for his club team, the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. ^[43]

On July 5, 2013, Bedoya scored his first international goal in a friendly match against Guatemala at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. ^[44] He was included in the United States roster for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, ^[45] helping the national side to its first Gold Cup championship in six years. ^{[46] [47]} He was part of the United States squad at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and played in all four of the U.S. games.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played March 30, 2024 ^{[48] [49] [50] [51] [52]}

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Örebro SK	2009	Allsvenskan	25	2	3	1	0	0	0	0	28	3
	2010	Allsvenskan	26	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	28	2
	2011	Allsvenskan	14	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	16	4
	Total		65	8	7	1	0	0	0	0	72	9
Rangers	2011–12	Scottish Premier League	12	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	13	1
Helsingborgs IF	2012	Allsvenskan	9	1	0	0	0	0	8 [lower-alpha 1]	2	17	3
	2013	Allsvenskan	12	5	3	2	0	0	0	0	15	7
	Total		21	6	3	2	0	0	8	2	32	10
Nantes	2013–14	Ligue 1	31	5	0	0	1	1	0	0	32	6
	2014–15	Ligue 1	28	3	3	0	2	0	0	0	33	3
	2015–16	Ligue 1	28	3	3	2	0	0	0	0	31	5
	Total		87	11	6	2	3	1	0	0	96	14
Philadelphia Union	2016	MLS	10	1	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	1	0	0	11	2
	2017	MLS	28	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	28	2
	2018	MLS	33	3	4	1	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	0	0	38	4
	2019	MLS	32	4	1	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	1	0	0	35	5
	2020	MLS	21 [lower-alpha 3]	3	0	0	4 [lower-alpha 4]	0	0	0	25	3
	2021	MLS	32	3	0	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	6 [lower-alpha 5]	0	40	3
	2022	MLS	30	6	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	0	0	31	6
	2023	MLS	28	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 2]	0	6 [lower-alpha 5]	0	37	0
	2024	MLS	5	1	0	0	0	0	4 [lower-alpha 5]	0	9	1
	Total		219	23	5	1	14	2	16	0	254	26
Career total			404	49	21	6	18	3	24	2	467	60

1. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs
3. Includes three appearances and one goal in MLS is Back Tournament group stage
4. Three appearances in MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage, one appearance in MLS Cup Playoffs
5. Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League/Cup

International

As of match played June 29, 2019 ^[53]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States	2010	6	0
	2011	7	0
	2013	12	1
	2014	12	1
	2015	7	0
	2016	11	0
	2017	11	0
Total		66	2

Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bedoya goal.

List of international goals scored by Alejandro Bedoya

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	July 5, 2013	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Guatemala	6–0	6–0	Friendly [54]
2	September 3, 2014	Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic	Czech Republic	1–0	1–0	Friendly [55]

Honors

Philadelphia Union

• Supporters Shield: 2020 ^[56]
• MLS Cup runner-up: 2022 ^[57]

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2013, ^[58] 2017 ^[59]

Individual

• NCAA First-Team All-American: 2007 ^[60]
• Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Offensive Player of the Year: 2007 ^[61]
• MLS Humanitarian of the Year: 2022

References

1. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. June 11, 2014. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
2. "Alejandro Bedoya". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
3. "Alejandro Bedoya | Philadelphia Union Player Profile". philadelphiaunion.com. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
4. Bondy, Stefan. "Englewood native Alejandro Bedoya vies for U.S. spot", The Record (Bergen County) , May 25, 2010. Accessed February 16, 2011.
5. Rusnak, Jeff (May 24, 2010). "Weston's Bedoya can thank dad if he makes final U.S. World Cup roster". Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved May 13, 2022.
6. "Miami Herald Archive Search Results". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
7. Tenorio, Paul. "U.S. soccer leader Alejandro Bedoya set for sweet South Florida homecoming". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
8. Brian Sciaretta (May 14, 2014). "Alejandro Bedoya Believes That the U.S. Will Win". American Soccer Now. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
9. "Birmingham give trial to US midfielder Alejandro Bedoya". BBC Sport. February 21, 2011.
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12. "Rangers 2–0 Aberdeen". BBC Sport. August 28, 2011.
13. "Rangers vs. Dundee United - Football Match Report - May 2, 2012 - ESPN". ESPNFC.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
14. "Alejandro Bedoya leaves Rangers for Celtic's Euro opponents". BBC Sport. BBC. August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
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22. "Bedoya winner lifts Nantes". ESPNFC. December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
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25. Carlisle, Jeff (August 3, 2016). "Alejandro Bedoya seals MLS move to join Philadelphia Union from Nantes". ESPNFC. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
26. "2016 Player Review: Alejandro Bedoya". brotherlygame.com. November 19, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
27. Ives Galarcep (February 20, 2017). "'The bar has been raised' - The youngest coach in MLS, Curtin facing important year with Union". goal.com. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
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33. Mather, Victor (August 5, 2019). "Alejandro Bedoya Spoke Out on Gun Violence. Now He Is M.L.S.'s Player of the Week". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
34. Tom Bogert (February 27, 2020). "Philadelphia Union, captain Alejandro Bedoya agree to contract extension". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
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36. Jonathan Tannenwald (November 8, 2020). "Union seal the Supporters' Shield, their first-ever trophy, with 2-0 win over New England". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
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40. "Nowak Names Roster for 2008 Olympic Games". U.S. Soccer. July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
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43. "Alejandro Bedoya Has Replaced Benny Feilhaber on U.S. Roster for 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup". U.S, Soccer. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
44. "Player Ratings: U.S. (6) vs. Guatemala (0)". NY Times. July 6, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
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46. "U.S. beats Panama 1–0 to win Gold Cup". USA Today. July 29, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
47. "Shea's quick goal gives US 1–0 victory over Panama in Gold Cup final". Washington Post. July 28, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
48. "A. Bedoya". Soccerway. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
49. "Profile of Alejandro Bedoya at footballzz.co.uk". footballzz.co.uk. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
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51. "Alejandro Bedoya". ESPN. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
52. "MLS - A. Bedoya - Philadelphia Union". MLS. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
53. "Alejandro Bedoya". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
54. "United States vs. Guatemala 6–0". Soccerway. July 5, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
55. "Czech Republic vs. United States 0–1". Soccerway. September 3, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
56. Major League Soccer [@MLS] (November 8, 2020). "SUPPORTERS' SHIELD WINNERS @PhilaUnion win their first trophy in club history! #DOOP" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
57. Sigal, Jonathan (November 5, 2022). "Hollywood ending! LAFC win legendary MLS Cup 2022 over Philadelphia Union". Major League Soccer . Retrieved April 27, 2023.
58. "USA 1–0 Panama – as it happened". Guardian UK. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
59. "By the Numbers: U.S. in 2017 Gold Cup". Empire of Soccer. July 29, 2017. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
60. "2007 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Men's Division I All-America Team". Soccer America. December 17, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
61. "Alejandro Bedoya Named Semifinalist For Hermann Trophy Award". Boston College Eagles. November 29, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2019.

External links

• Alejandro Bedoya – UEFA competition record ( archive ) 
• Alejandro Bedoya at Soccerbase
• "Alejandro Bedoya at Boston College Eagles". Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
• Alejandro Bedoya at Örebro SK
• Alejandro Bedoya at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish) (archive 1, archive 2)
• Alejandro Bedoya at National-Football-Teams.com