It’s official. Philadelphia Union have finally signed midfielder Alejandro Bedoya from FC Nantes in France’s Ligue 1. The signing was a longtime coming, with the two sides nearing a deal last summer only for it to fall through at the last minute. But this time is for real, Bedoya is the newest member of Philadelphia Union and he brings a lot to the table.
Bedoya is a versatile midfielder that will easily fit into Jim Curtin’s 4-2-3-1 formation that has been utilized throughout the season. He can play centrally as well as out on the wing with the attacking ability to create offensive opportunities for the Union, something that has been lacking lately. The Union have a lot of finishers, but need more playmakers – Bedoya could be just that. Playing alongside targets like C.J. Sapong, Chris Pontius, and Roland Alberg, Bedoya could be the spark that can ignite this Union offense and push them through the remaining matches on the schedule.
While Bedoya has played his entire career abroad, he is no stranger to the U.S. style of play that can take some foreign signees time to adjust to. Born in New Jersey, Bedoya grew up playing soccer in the States. After an impressive career at Boston College, he decided to play abroad after college. While playing throughout Europe on a club level, Bedoya has made 53 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National team, scoring two goals since his debut in 2010.
Just this past June Bedoya donned the Red, White, and Blue for the USMNT in their Copa America run. Having just played in a highly competitive international tournament – it’s fair to conclude that Bedoya will likely be in pretty decent shape once he joins the Union in training. During Copa America he averaged almost 80 minutes a game in in his five appearances.
Union head coach Jim Curtin said the addition of Bedoya is a “declaration of us raising the bar” in Philadelphia. Curtin is confident that Bedoya will not only be able to make an impact right away with the Union, but will also be a great asset down the road.
Bedoya will be getting a physical done in France before heading stateside and is expected the join the Union before the week’s end.
More updates on Alejandro Bedoya’s signing coming soon.
