Bedoya Scored His First and Only Goal for Rangers

On This Day in 2012, the Substitute Scored the Fifth in a Rout to Seal a Runner-Up Finish in the Scottish Premier League

Right before the 2011 Gold Cup, Alejandro Bedoya was added to the roster to replace Benny Feilhaber, who suffered an injury in an MLS match a week earlier. Bedoya, who had eight caps before the tournament, would grow into the tournament and start all three knockout round matches, including the 4-2 defeat to Mexico in the final. Because of these performances, Rangers came calling, and Bedoya would make the move to the Scottish Premier side.

Rangers had agreed with Bedoya’s current club, Orebro, about the transfer, and Bedoya signed a pre-contract agreement to join in January following the conclusion of the Allsvenskan season. But after Bedoya received his British work permit, Rangers manager Ally McCoist was adamant about signing the 24-year-old, and he pushed for Bedoya’s signing over the summer; he made the transfer on August 17 for an undisclosed fee. He made his Rangers debut 11 days later as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen. By midseason, Bedoya would earn two starts and another five appearances off the bench as he struggled with injuries from the start of his time in Glasgow. Bedoya was even ill the day of his debut, spitting up blood toward the end of the match.

"I just have to try to fight through it and keep doing my best because I know I have what it takes to become an even better player here and do well for the club," he said about the injuries.

Bedoya was out for three months before returning to the starting XI for the March 17 defeat to Dundee United, where he played 83 minutes in central midfield. He would return to the bench for the next six league matches before finally substituting for Sone Aluko in the 75th minute on May 2 in the reverse fixture against Dundee.

The game was already in hand, up 4-0, when Bedoya stepped onto the field. Seven minutes later, Bedoya, coming off the left, drifted forward before receiving a through pass from fellow American Maurice Edu. Bedoya gets to the pass first and fires it past Dusan Pernis for the first of the match. It was Bedoya’s first goal in Scotland and his first goal in nearly a year.

That 5-0 win secured second place for Rangers, relinquishing the title to Celtic after winning it the previous season. Bedoya played in the last two matches of the season, coming off the bench in a goalless draw with Motherwell before providing an assist in a final-day victory over St. Johnstone. It would be the last action for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership as the club was placed into administration on Valentine’s Day and eventually dropped to the fourth tier. Like most first-teamers, Bedoya sought other clubs and returned to Sweden when he signed with Helsingborgs on August 10. Edu and Carlos Bocanegra, who signed in January, also left in the summer. Edu signed with Stoke City, and Bocanegra moved to Racing Santander on loan.

Bedoya rebounded in Sweden, but that didn’t translate back to the national team until the 2013 Gold Cup. Out of favor with new manager Jurgen Klinsmann, Bedoya eventually worked his way back into the picture, scoring his first goal for the US in a pre-tournament friendly against Guatemala. Just like in 2011, Bedoya improved as the tournament progressed and provided two assists in the semifinal and on Brek Shea’s winner in the final against Panama, though Landon Donovan may have had a touch.