Alejandro Bedoya

BIOGRAPHY

Alejandro Bedoya was born April 29, 1987, in Englewood, New Jersey. He is a midfielder in Major League Soccer. 

While college seniors often enter the MLS SuperDraft, Bedoya chose to explore 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. 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, 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. Bedoya made his debut as a second-half substitute in a Scottish Premier League match against Aberdeen on August 28, 2011. 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. On August 3, 2016, Bedoya joined Philadelphia Union from Nantes for a reported $1 million transfer fee. 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. 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.

For the 2017 season, Bedoya became the Union's captain, taking over for Brian Carroll. 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.

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. 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.