Top Stories

Bedoya shines with goal-scoring performance for Nantes

Alejandro Bedoya Nantes 2 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

FC Nantes were on their way to a third straight shutout loss on Tuesday, but Alejandro Bedoya ensured that did not happen with one of his best outings of the season.

Three days after playing 83 minutes in a 1-0 defeat to Guingamp, Bedoya enjoyed a strong performance that included an equalizer in Nantes’ 2-1 come-from-behind win over relegation-threatened Valenciennes. Bedoya, who played a number of positions in the match, pulled Nantes level seven minutes after they fell behind in the second half with a familiar left-footed strike and later drew a penalty kick that a teammate failed to convert.

Nantes did not allow Bedoya’s strong showing go for naught, as they found the winner a minute before the end of regulation. The victory kept the Canaries within striking distance of fourth-placed Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1.

Bedoya now has three goals this season across all competitions.

Here is Bedoya’s goal:

What do you think of Bedoya’s goal-scoring outing vs. FC Nantes? Impressed with the strike and his ability to score with his left? Do you think he will begin to find the net with more regularity?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The French league is one I would definitely like to see more Americans playing in. Better than the Dutch league and not quite as good as the big boys. Great place to be really challenged while not having as much pressure to be a superstar from day one. On another note, there appears to be tons of Japanese and Korean players in the Bundesliga. Does anyone know why that is? Is there a German perception that they are of a higher quality than Americans? As somone who rabidly supports the US, I would say that the Japanese look more technical than us in the few games I have seen them play. Not necessarily better, just more technical and very good position and strategy-wise.

    Reply
    • Many USNT fans have wanted players to look beyond the BPL when targeting transfers. Many leagues are good at developing certain skill sets and offer players development opportunities. With the proposed restrictions on UK Work Permits I expect more US Players to migrate towards the Dutch, French, & German leagues in the future.
      Dutch League – Strikers
      French – Midfielders
      German – Midielders/Defenders
      Italian – Midfielders/Defenders
      Spanish – Strikers/Midfielders (attacking players)

      Reply
    • Japanese and Korean players grow up playing a style of football that suits the new German game. Quick passing, great movement off the ball, soccer IQ and high pressure. Korean players are more aggressive physically than the Japanese players typically, though the Japanese players are better technically. The other big reason there are many in Germany is the cheap transfer fees. Kagawa was bought from Cerezo Osaka for around $300k. And most of the other players were around the same price. Kagawa’s success has led to the J league and K league fans complaining management is selling their talent for too cheap and as a result the transfer fees have gone up a bit.

      As an american fan that watches the MLS, J League and K league as well as all 3 national teams, I can tell you for the most part they are better players than Americans. Their soccer IQ is much higher and they are better technically. We still are bigger and faster though. This is my opinion.

      Reply
      • True, but speaking of mental fortitude, both national teams have been stereotyped as soft because of their collapses. Technically proficient but, Kazu, Takahara, Nakamura, Nakata, have all failed to show up on the biggest stage.

        But I have to say, Japan, after those last two friendlies has looked like a completely different team. Honda is the first Japanese player to look like a superstar out there. He looks like Ronaldo out there when he’s out there. He’ll go down as the greatest Japanese footballer of all time once he hangs it up.

    • They all have adapted well. The Japanese, I think out of the last 15 – 20 or so transfers to the Bundesliga in the past 3 yrs, discounting Hasebe and Takahara before them, only 5 or so haven’t actually broken through to the first team.

      Italy, Germany and Holland are the Euro leagues the Japanese traditionally do well in, so now clubs aren’t afraid to take gambles on good prospects in the J League because the perception is that they translate seemingly into those leagues

      That being said, what does that say about American players who’s games are cultivated MLS and college and our perception to the rest of Europe besides England. The success/failure ratio doesn’t seem too good looking at major leagues.

      Reply
  2. He hardly played at Rangers, so he has really been a revelation in France. With J Jones playing well the last game and Bradley a mainstay, F Johnson, Donovan and Dempsey, plus Zusi, where do we put all our good midfielders, not even mentioning Diskerud? You could put Donovan or Dempsey as a withdrawn forward, but I kind of like Johannsson and Altidore up top if you go with two strikers. The benefit is that when you have a lot of games in a few days, we can put some pretty good subs on the field and lose little if any quality. Klinsmann has a lot of interesting choices/decisions to make. I’m not sure who I would put in my front 6 and how I’d arrange them. You figure Altidore is a lock up top and I can’t imagine not playing Donovan, Dempsey and Bradley. Beyond that, though , it’s a real tossup. I think I would move F Johnson to left back, allowing a choice between J Jones, Bedoya, and Johannsson for the final two spots.

    Reply
  3. Out of all the players that I thought would really step it up before the world cup, Bedoya really wasn’t one of them. Very happy for the guy, he’s playing himself into a spot on the WC team.

    Reply
    • Definitely excited for him and I want to see him kill it over there. My issue with him on the WC team is that he tends to really kill momentum in USMNT games. I do agree he’s a hustler, no question of his work rate. It’s just that he’s called upon to really push the team down the right side and lengthen (and hopefully widen) the field. But in reality he rarely does that, he has a sever bias to cutting back off the line to his left foot and draw the play inside. IF we can count on our RB to provide that width/length then this can work, but our overlaps have been pretty weak on the right so I don’t know that he brings the right flow to our game.

      Anyhow, I really do want to see him flourish and I hope he keeps this run up, just want to see him broaden his game.

      Reply
  4. He he getting into dangerous positions often. With a bit of confidence and better decision making in the final third I can see him having a great season. He got in on goal a couple weeks ago late in what would have gotten Nantes a draw but put it wide. Then last week seemed a little shy about taking his shot, passing off one he probably should have taken. Great to see him bounce back and hopefully really builds off this.

    Reply
      • I watched the match, he played RW, LW, Striker and also a supporting striker role throughout the match. Bedoya also made the defense splitting pass to his teammate who was then fouled in the box for a PK. The PK was saved, but it was still a great pass. He is looking stronger every match.

Leave a Reply to bryan Cancel reply