The 28-year-old U.S. internationally has missed several high-profile matches due to injury but feels he is ready to return to action when the Yanks take on Panama tonight in Kansas City.

BY Brooke Tunstall Posted

July 13, 2015

11:00 AM SHARE THIS STORY



KANSAS CITY, Kan.—After growing up in steamy South Florida and spending plenty of time in the tropical climate of his parents’ native Colombia, one thing Alejandro Bedoya is used to is a little heat and humidity.

Or at least he was. After six-and-a-half seasons playing professionally in Europe, the United States national team midfielder is no longer acclimated to the heat and was wincing at playing in the heatwave that hit the Midwestern prairie and pushed temperatures to around 100 degrees.

“Man, this seems hotter than we have in Florida,” Bedoya said, shaking his head. “But especially when you’re not used to it. For all the European (based) guys, it’s rough because we’re just not used to playing in this. It’s a big reason why the MLS games are played at a different pace, because these guys have to deal with heat like this.

"It’s not going to be easy.”

Despite the oppressive heat, Bedoya is itching to play when the U.S. takes on Panama (9:30pm ET; FoxSports1, UniMas) in its final game of the group stage of the Gold Cup tonight at Sporting Park.

A knee injury that Bedoya picked up late in the season while playing for French club Nantes cost him a chance to play in last month’s friendly wins over the Netherlands and Germany and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann kept him out the U.S.’ first two Gold Cup wins over Honduras and Haiti to give the knee extra time to get ready.

But the 28-year-old Bedoya said his knee has responded well to treatment and he thinks he’s ready to take the field again. He hopes to get that chance against Panama, stifling heat notwithstanding, and earn his 40th cap.

“I feel fine, my knee is good, everything’s coming back” to normal, the Boston College product said. “It’s hard to get back to being able to be playing 90 in this weather but hopefully I’ll get my chance soon. I just have to be patient.”

Klinsmann was non-committal about his lineup but said "we have the option to get fresh players into the game,” adding that he hoped to get Bedoya into the game “at some point tomorrow night.

"Ale had a bit of a more difficult stretch because he had injury issues," the coach added, "but (he is) coming along.”

This is Bedoya’s third straight Gold Cup. Four years ago, he was the up-and-comer, looking to take minutes away from established national team regulars. Now a World Cup veteran, Bedoya is now fighting off the likes of younger players like Gyasi Zardes, Alfredo Morales, and Greg Garza, who may not play his same position but can still fill a spot on the field that allows a versatile player like Fabian Johnson to move into his spot.

“Every time I step on the field, I have to make a case for myself," Bedoya said. "We’ve got all these kids coming up. Nobody’s safe. You’ve still got to make a case that you belong.”

A crafty midfielder who has been used both centrally and on the flank, Bedoya’s presence and experience would likely help the U.S. do something it has struggled to do in the Gold Cup: maintain possession and create chances that help weather an aggressive storm at the opening whistle.

In wins over Honduras and Haiti, the U.S. struggled out of the gate as both opponents jumped out looking for an early strike. While none came, the U.S. was on its heels and needed some big saves from Brad Guzan to keep things scoreless while the team found its footing.

Bedoya expects Panama, which has two points from a pair of draws and likely needs another point to guarantee advancing to the knockout stage, to come out with a similar mindset. Aside from needing to handle that early pressure, he thinks the U.S. needs to up its form heading into the next round.

Panama “have a lot to play for. I’m sure they‘re going to come out like the other two teams in this tournament. Flying. Aggressive. Trying to break things up for us,” he said. “We just have to be ready and take this seriously because we need to get some momentum to take into the knockout stage.”

Exacerbating the heat, Bedoya hasn’t played a competitive match since May 2—in Nantes’ Ligue 1 finale against Paris St. Germain. Heading into that game, he’d been dealing with soreness and after the PSG game his knee stiffened up.

“At first it was diagnosed as a knock, a small thing," he added. "I played a game against Marseille and Toulouse with some pain but it was fine. At first nothing bothered me but after PSG, there was a lot of pain and I finally got an MRI.”

Bedoya was less than thrilled at how Nantes handled his injury, feeling that since the season was over the club just felt he needed rest. Instead, Bedoya had his MRI results sent to U.S. Soccer’s doctors and trainers and they, not his primary employer, prescribed a rehab plan.

“It was the end of Nantes' season; they could care less about me playing internationally," Bedoya said. "They’re my club, they pay my salary and want me ready for next season. I’m not taking a shot at Nantes, it’s a good club. But it’s something I opened my mouth on because it wasn’t something that was up to par for what I was used to.

"I was upset at how everything was handled.”

That said, Bedoya grudgingly admitted that the injury may have given him a much-needed break, something he hasn’t had much of after playing for the national team each of the last three summers.

“I haven’t had a break in three years, he said. “I’m sure (Nantes) would be fine if I just rested this summer.”

Of course, Bedoya didn’t see it that way at the time and he was initially worried the injury might keep him from the Gold Cup once he knew he’d miss the Germany and Netherlands games.

“I never had a serious injury before and I know a knee (injury) is not a good thing so of course it worried me a little bit. I tried everything to be ready for the two friendlies, because everybody wants to play against the best and those are two big games,” he said. “My injury couldn’t have come at a worse time in terms of playing in these friendlies and the Gold Cup and I was upset.”

He has since put that frustration behind him and is relishing the camaraderie that comes from playing for his country.

“It’s great to be back in the States playing with some of the guys I grew up with” he said. “It’s the national team."

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.