Alejandro Bedoya was voted MLS Player of the Week for his long-range goal in the Philadelphia Union's 5-1 defeat of D.C. United on Sunday, after which he implored Congress to take action on gun violence following two mass shootings in the U.S. last weekend.
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Bedoya started the lopsided win in the third minute when his dragged shot from outside of the 18-yard box beat D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid at the far post.
After scoring, Bedoya ran toward the corner of the field, grabbed an on-field television microphone and shouted into it: "Hey, Congress, do something now. End gun violence. Let's go!"
Bedoya's remarks came in the wake of a shooting Saturday in El Paso, Texas, that left 22 dead and more than two dozen injured, and one in Dayton, Ohio, in the early hours of Sunday morning that killed nine people and injured at least 27.
The MLS Player of the Week for Week 22 is @AleBedoya17! 👏 pic.twitter.com/QZUbhbWqUS
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 5, 2019
MLS confirmed to ESPN FC and other outlets on Monday that Bedoya would not be fined or suspended for making a political statement on the field, and later addressed his actions in an official release.
"The Major League Soccer family joins everyone grieving for the loss of lives in Texas and Ohio, and we understand that our players and staff have strong and passionate views on the issue," the league said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
Bedoya said after the game that a friend suggested he use his platform as a professional athlete to spread his feelings on the issue, and he continued to share his thoughts in a message posted on his Instagram account the following day.
The goal was 32-year-old U.S. international's third of the season for the first-placed Union.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected by a panel of journalists and a Twitter fan vote.