Allez Alé - Bedoya at Nantes. [Mod note August 9, 2013: Since the old thread here https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/bedoya-at-van-helsingborg.1975996/page-12 contained so much good conversation, I've just used it to start the new thread. Thanks to Sandon, we have a great threat title .]
I like this move a lot. My personal knock on Bedoya is that he's never had to face top-quality opposition with any regularity...that won't be a problem anymore.
LOVE this move, great to have another yank in france. Nantes is a sleeping giant too, good time to latch onto them.
It's a good spot for him. Nantes are not throwing money around like Monaco is, but they've got a decent chance to stay up. Bedoya should get good playing time as well.
According to Wikipedia, Gabriel Cichero (formerly of the Red Bulls) plays for Nantes now. Also, Mo Johnston played there from 87 to 89 (in between Celtic and Rangers).
Interesting move. I like it. Alejandro will also be able to speak Spanish with Nantes' 3 Venezuelan players on the squad.
Their current roster isn't good enough to stay up imo. They will need to a few more quality pieces this window if they want to avoid spending most of the season in the middle of the relegation scrap. With that said, if the owner does indeed have cash to spend I don't think it would take too many additions for them to pass up teams like Evian, Ajaccio and Bastia.
Either way, he'll still have a full season of Ligue 1 play going into next summer's World Cup. This move really could help push him over his competition for spots on the WC roster (Corona, Torres, Kljestan, Diskeruud, Gatt). He'll be playing in a better league than all of those guys.
Second part: The Seventh American to Play in Ligue 1 There haven't been that many Americans to play in the French league. The midfielder will be the seventh player to stroll on the pitches in Ligue 1, and certainly the one one this season. Before him, only Carlos Bocanegra (99 appearances, 4 goals)--his teammate on the national team but also at Glasgow Rangers (2011-12)--really left a lasting mark, at Rennes and then at Saint-Etienne. The others can be counted on one hand: Greg Vanney (60 appearances with Bastia), Freddy Adu (9 appearances for Monaco), and the latest one, Charlie Davies (10 appearances, 2 goals for Sochaux). The two others are Franco-Americans David Regis (154 appearances) and Quentin Westberg (4 appearances). Alejandro Bedoya should arrive in Nantes tomorrow to sign a 3-year deal. Hopefully Carlos Bocanegra tells him the formula he needs to succeed in France...
Ligue 1 opens up this weekend. More specifically, Nantes open up at home, on Saturday, against Bastia.
The only question is will this get him to Brazil? Starting and playing well could leapfrog him over Corona, Shea, Kljestan.