Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia Union
CHESTER, Pa. (Oct. 1, 2017) – Philadelphia Union, in conjunction with the United States Men’s National Team, have announced that Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya has been named to the final Men’s National Team Roster for their upcoming World Cup Qualifying Matches on Oct. 6 vs. Panama in Orlando, Florida and on Oct. 10 in Trinidad & Tobago. Additionally, Philadelphia Union have announced that 2016 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake, midfielder Haris Medunjanin and midfielder Warren Creavalle have also been called up for international duty for their respective countries.
Bedoya and the USMNT are currently competing in CONCACAF Final Round qualification, commonly known as the Hexagonal, where the Stars and Stripes sit in fourth place in the six-team group. The top three qualify directly to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth-placed squad advances to an inter-confederation playoff.
Bedoya has earned 64 international caps, including four FIFA World Cup appearances. At the international level, Bedoya continues to be an indispensable option for the USMNT. The midfielder started nine of 12 matches for the U.S. in 2013, including playing a pivotal role in the team’s capture of the CONCACAF Gold Cup title and finishing atop its World Cup qualifying group for the third consecutive cycle.
Medunjanin will depart after Sunday’s Union contest to join Bosnia in their World Cup Qualifying matches against Belgium and Estonia. Medunjanin has earned 55 caps for the Bosnian National Team while recording eight goals. In the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, he contributed with three goals against Albania, Belarus, and Luxembourg. The midfielder led Bosnia to the second place in their group.
Meanwhile, Blake will join the Reggae Boyz as they take on the national team of Saudi Arabia in a friendly on Oct. 7. The game will be played at the King Fahd International Stadium, also called Pearl of Stadiums, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Blake’s last appearance for Jamaica came in the 2017 Gold Cup, where he led Jamaica to a second place finish and was awarded the Golden Glove award as the tournament’s top goalkeeper. Blake has made 30 career appearances for Jamaica.
Finally, Creavalle will join the Guyana as they take on Grenada on Oct. 7. Creavalle has earned three caps for the nation of Guyana, with his last appearance coming on March 28 when Guyana took on Martinique.
