Alejandro Bedoya Excited to Lead Philadelphia Union Into Concacaf Champions League For Second Time

The 35-year-old is recharged following some time away from soccer after last season's heartbreak.

Alejandro Bedoya needed a break from soccer.

The entire Philadelphia Union roster needed to step away from the game they love after the heartbreaking ending of MLS Cup 2022.

“I would say most of the guys did that,” Bedoya said. “For me, I wanted to disconnect from soccer completely. I didn’t touch a soccer ball for a month. I went to Norway for a month to spend time with my wife’s family and we went to the mountains and just disconnected out there. That was important for my mental state.”

“Physically, for me personally, I needed it to recover from my injury,” he continued said. “It’s important because the season was long. We did a lot of great things and that loss really hurt a lot of us. You could hear a pin drop in that locker room after the game. We were so close that we really felt it and a lot of us felt disappointed so we needed that break. That was crucial.”

The break from soccer happened long before Bedoya and his teammates would think about the longest season in Philadelphia Union history in 2023.

The first major goal for the club is to win the Concacaf Champions League. The Union open play in the continental competition on Tuesday in El Salvador against Alianza in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie. The second leg takes place one week later inside Subaru Park.

And if there’s anyone in MLS who knows what playing away in Concacaf is like, Bedoya is your guy.

“I played a World Cup qualifier (in El Salvador) and that was a tough game,” Bedoya said. “It’s the same thing. They don’t wet the grass so the ball is not slick. It’s dry, hot and humid. There’s a lot of hostility there. Maybe we’ll get some fireworks at 2-3 in the morning. That’s all part of the fun.”

“There will be some talks about all of that to get the team ready. At the end of the day, we have to show our best selves on the field and get a result there and bring us back home where we know we’re strong.”

On paper, Philadelphia is better equipped to make a deep run in the CCL in 2023 than its semifinal run in 2021.

Daniel Gazdag was still a new arrival when the semifinal matches against Club America took place. The lack of a lethal striker led to the acquisitions of Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza.

“I think we’re even better suited for the CCL to hopefully make a deeper run,” Bedoya said. “Our two strikers weren’t there. Daniel wasn’t a big part of it. That front three really boosted our team and given us a better team.”

The Union eliminated Costa Rican superpower Saprissa in the round of 16, beat Atlanta United in a testy quarterfinal and then fell to Club America.

Trips to Costa Rica and the Estadio Azteca did not give the Union the full on-the-road experience in Concacaf.

“I think it was important for us to get that experience with the travel, experience, hotels, the types of fields you are going to play on. Although it was really weird in Costa Rica because there was no atmosphere because of COVID. There were no fans at Saprissa,” Bedoya said.

“The guys really didn’t experience what a Saprissa atmosphere could feel like. I think it will be interesting, but a lot of the guys have experience under their belt now with big games. That helps. We want to be challenging for every trophy we’re a part of so it’s going to be fun.”

Since Club America eliminated the Union, they have played in six elimination games as part of the MLS Cup Playoffs, as well as one in the U.S. Open Cup.

In the last few months, the Union added depth to that experience to properly compete in the CCL, Major League Soccer’s regular season, the Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup.

“This is the deepest roster we’ve had at the club and every guy is actually pushing each other and trying to get into the starting XI and it’s pushing the starting XI to get better,” Bedoya said. “We can’t take any team lightly, whether it’s a CCL team, a team that a lot of guys have never heard about and never been to a country like El Salvador. We just have to be wary of our opponents and respect them, but at the same time, play our game because we know we have a talented group.”

The Union will internally preach one game at a time, but the CCL matches are the most important ones on this side of the calendar.

All of the proper mental preparation is going on behind the scenes so that the Union can hit the ground running in the CCL, just like they did in Costa Rica with a 1-0 win two years ago.

“I think that’s part of the allure of going down there,” Bedoya said. “You’re facing these teams that are so hungry to prove themselves against an MLS team. Those guys are hoping, and maybe dreaming, to play in a league like MLS. They’re going to try everything they can and they’re going to try to get the most out of us.”

“It’s important to make sure we’re aware of that and we don’t come out flat footed. Also, show them what we’re all about. That we’re superior and we are the better team. You have to show it on the field.”

The roles could be reversed for when the Union approach the Leagues Cup in July. Liga MX sides Club Tijuana and Queretaro will visit Chester for the group stage of the competition between MLS and Liga MX.

“We have no idea what to expect of it and what it’s going to be like. It’s cool to compete against Liga MX teams because, like the team from El Salvador wants to prove themselves against us, we want to prove that MLS is better than Liga MX,” Bedoya said.

The Union could play over 50 games if everything goes right, and that’s something even the 35-year-old Bedoya may not have experienced in his life.

“There were times in France where I played the league games, the two cups there and in between the national team games and World Cup qualifiers. I wasn’t counting back then, but I know there was one summer where I think 12 days was the longest break I had. Those were definitely tough,” he said.

While the schedule may seem to be a lot on the body, the recharged Bedoya is more than happy to play for trophies compared to the alternative.

“Games are more fun,” Bedoya said. “I’d rather be training for more games than running to stay fit on the field here in training.”