Alejandro Bedoya is just the latest in a stream of USMNT players to return

Alejandro Bedoya, who officially, for-real joined the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday, is just the latest in a string of Americans to realize there’s no place like home. Bedoya, fresh from French side FC Nantes, represents a trickle in a growing stream of US national team players to return from abroad to play in MLS.


Here’s a table that breaks down all the current MLS players with US caps at the youth or senior national level, who played overseas before landing again on North American soil.

<strong>Name</strong>
<strong>Year of senior-team pro debut</strong>
<strong>Pro years abroad</strong>
<strong>Year returned to or arrived in MLS</strong>
<strong>Current MLS team</strong>
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Conor-Casey">Conor Casey</a>
2000
2000-2006
2007
Toronto FC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Sal-Zizzo">Sal Zizzo</a>
2007
2007-2009
2010
New York Red Bulls
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Benny-Feilhaber">Benny Feilhaber</a>
2005
2005-2011
2011
New England Revolution
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/cj-sapong">CJ Sapong</a>
2010
2010
2011
Philadelphia Union
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Ricardo-Clark">Ricardo Clark</a>
2003
2010-2012
2012
Houston Dynamo
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Matt-Hedges">Matt Hedges</a>
2010
2010-2011
2012
FC Dallas
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Lee-Nguyen">Lee Nguyen</a>
2006
2006-2011
2012
New England Revolution
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Luis-Robles">Luis Robles</a>
2007
2007-2012
2012
New York Red Bulls
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Chris-Rolfe">Chris Rolfe</a>
2005
2010-2012
2012
D.C. United
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Clint-Dempsey">Clint Dempsey</a>
2004
2007-2013
2013
Seattle Sounders
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Clarence-Goodson">Clarence Goodson</a>
2004
2008-2013
2013
San Jose Earthquakes
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Robbie-Rogers">Robbie Rogers</a>
2006
2006-2007 and 2012-2013
2013
LA Galaxy
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/DaMarcus-Beasley">DaMarcus Beasley</a>
1999
2004-2014
2014
Houston Dynamo
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Michael-Bradley">Michael Bradley</a>
2004
2006-2014
2014
Toronto FC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Charlie-Davies">Charlie Davies</a>
2007
2007-2014
2014
Philadelphia Union
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Maurice-Edu">Maurice Edu</a>
2007
2008-2013
2014
Philadelphia Union
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Jermaine-Jones">Jermaine Jones</a>
1999
1999-2014
2014
Colorado Rapids
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Michael-Parkhurst">Michael Parkhurst</a>
2005
2008-2014
2014
Columbus Crew SC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Juan-Agudelo">Juan Agudelo</a>
2010
2014
2015
New England Revolution
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Jozy-Altidore">Jozy Altidore</a>
2006
2008-2015
2015
Toronto FC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Mix-Diskerud">Mix Diskerud</a>
2008
2008-2014
2014
New York City FC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Herculez-Gomez">Herculez Gomez</a>
2002
2010-2015
2015
Seattle Sounders
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Mike-Grella">Mike Grella</a>
2009
2009-2013
2015
New York Red Bulls
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Sacha-Kljestan">Sacha Kljestan</a>
2006
2010-2015
2015
New York Red Bulls
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Sebastian-Lletget">Sebastian Lletget</a>
2010
2010-2015
2015
LA Galaxy
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Brek-Shea">Brek Shea</a>
2008
2013-2014
2015
Orlando City
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Alejandro-Bedoya">Alejandro Bedoya</a>
2009
2009-2016
2016
Philadelphia Union
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Tim-Howard">Tim Howard</a>
1998
2003-2016
2016
Colorado Rapids
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Zack-Steffen">Zack Steffen</a>
2014
2014-2016
2016
Columbus Crew SC
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/players/Zarek-Valentin">Zarek Valentin</a>
2011
2013-2015
2016
Portland Timbers