SAN JOSE, Calif. — Alejandro Bedoya is a big believer in fate. You would be too if your career, and life, took as many unexpected turns as Bedoya's have only to have those detours lead to more prosperous destinations.

When Bedoya takes the field with the U.S. national team to take on Colombia on Friday in the opening match of the Copa America Centenario, it will serve as the culmination of a journey that hasn't been easy at times, but has helped him wind up in a special place in his life.

Consider the following twists and turns:

• In 2010, Bedoya missed out on the U.S. World Cup squad, a disappointment that would eventually fuel an outstanding club career and drive him to reach the World Cup four years later.
• In February of 2012, struggling with injuries and a lack of playing time, Alejandro's time with Scottish club Glasgow Rangers hit rock bottom when the club went into administration, which left his career in limbo.
• Faced with a decision on what to do next, Bedoya had a choice between going to the German Bundesliga with Werder Bremen or taking a step back and returning to Sweden to jump-start his career. He took the less conventional route of returning to Sweden, which not only helped him revive his career, but also helped him meet a new love who eventually became the mother of his child.
• Most recently, in January, Bedoya had a move all set to come play in Major League Soccer with the Colorado Rapids, but it fell through when Nantes decided not to let him leave. Rather than let it stop him, Bedoya proceeded to enjoy the best stretch of form in his career, reaching a level of play that has him poised to start in yet another major tournament for the U.S.

Any of those twists and turns could have led to a road that didn't culminate with Bedoya facing off against the same Colombia team he grew up watching and rooting for, and if he had gone a different way at any point, he may not find himself here, enjoying another milestone he could have only dreamed of as a kid growing up in Florida.

"In retrospect, it's kind of crazy how life works out sometimes," Bedoya told Goal USA just days before the opening match of Copa America. "Life is awesome like that, and it's why I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason."

Bedoya is coming off what was arguably the best season of his career at Nantes, a season that nearly ended in the winter when a planned move to MLS appeared set to go through. Sources tell Goal USA that Bedoya would have made the move to the U.S. if not for Nantes reneging on a gentleman's agreement to let him leave.

Though he was disappointed with seeing his move to MLS fall through, he didn't let it negatively affect his game. In fact, the opposite happened. He played some of his best soccer in the subsequent months, improving his overall game and rekindling his desire to reach for even more lofty goals in European soccer. In the process, Bedoya boosted his standing in the eyes of U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is once again counting on him to be a starter in a major tournament.

"He went through his own learning curve since the World Cup. He had a couple of up and downs, but in the last couple of months, he was outstanding," Klinsmann said of Bedoya. "He was outstanding with Nantes, very strong and has his presence in Europe. Also, as a personality, you can see him, he's just turning more mature. He understands that 'I'm now getting towards an age where people expect more leadership, more responsibility, not just going with the flow.'

"I think he made that step now, he's ready to be more vocal on the field," Klinsmann said. "He's ready to guide the players around him in his area, which for example, against Bolivia was Gyasi Zardes there. He corrected Gyasi with what to do, when to come back, when to stay up and do all these things. It's smaller signs from Ale that he takes more ownership of his game and that's nice to see."

Bedoya enters the Copa America as one of a handful of current U.S. field players playing regularly in a top European league, along with Fabian Johnson, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron and DeAndre Yedlin. Despite that distinction, Bedoya has continued to fly under the radar with U.S. fans, in part because his games in Ligue 1 with Nantes aren't as readily accessible to U.S. fans as games in England or Germany.

"That’s why sometimes I wouldn’t maybe normally tweet out the video of a goal, or the video of an assist, but sometimes I do so because otherwise people don’t see them,” Bedoya said. “My friends are missing out on that stuff to, so that’s the only way they’re seeing them.”

Despite the relative lack of exposure playing in France provides, at least in the U.S., his three years at Nantes have been a blessing, helping him round out his game and improve as a player In a variety of ways, from helping him improve the physical side of his game, to also developing a better understanding of tactics and improving his passing and reading of the game.

There is much more nuance to Bedoya's game these days, subtle improvements that have made him a more complete player, even if that may not be so obvious to the casual fan.

"I’m not the type of player that maybe gets headlines," Bedoya said. "When I’m on the wing I’m not the flashy guy that’s going to do stepovers, get to the byline and cross it, dribble past guys. The way I get past guys is by combining with other players, getting into the pockets of space. That’s the best way to beat defenders really. With one pass, you take out six guys through the lines. That’ s the way I see things."

Bedoya's deeper understanding of the game is a key reason Klinsmann has turned to him to play in a more central role rather than the wide role he spent years playing for the U.S. It is a positional shift that may surprise U.S. fans who grew accustomed to him manning the flanks, but the reality is his career began as a central midfielder, and he has been thriving at that position in France for several years.

"If Americans were to see my games at Nantes, they would see that I’m playing behind the striker, playing in the middle of the field," Bedoya said. "I'm playing there against some good teams like Lyon and PSG and putting in solid performances."

If Bedoya is a bit overlooked compared to many of his U.S. teammates, it is due in part to the fact he has a unique career path. He wasn't a youth national team star who built up buzz before ever turning pro, and didn't make a name for himself playing in MLS. His career has consisted of playing in leagues (Sweden, Scotland and France) that aren't covered closely in the U.S., which explains how a player who has enjoyed man of the match performances against the likes of Paris St. Germain can be a bit overlooked by soccer fans in his home country.

"Do I feel like I’m undervalued or underrated or whatever it is? Yeah, maybe, but I like it that way,' Bedoya said. "I’m okay. I don’t need all the headlines or anything either. I’m not trying to impress everybody. As long as I’m doing the job, getting the job done for my coaches, the players that I’m playing for, then I'm happy."

Bedoya's U.S. teammates can't say enough good things about him. From long-time teammate Michael Bradley, who sees a player who is better now than he was at the World Cup in 2014, to Gyasi Zardes, a relative national team newcomer who has benefited from Bedoya's experience, it isn't tough to see the growing respect Bedoya has within the U.S. team.

"I love playing with Ale Bedoya," Zardes told Goal USA. "He's a veteran, he's been playing with the national team for years. He's always talking to me and communication is key when you're on the field. From a spectator's point of view, you can see the game differently, but when you have your teammate talking to you and communicating with you it makes the game that much easier."

"He's a guy who has continued to grow, both in general as a player in terms of where he's taken his career, but also in this team in terms of his role every time he comes into this group," Bradley said of Bedoya. "He's been in very good form in these past two games, and we count on him in a big way."

The U.S. will be counting on Bedoya in Copa America, a tournament with special significance for Bedoya, who grew up in a Colombian-American household and has a deep-rooted connection with the history of the tournament, and South American soccer.

"Playing against Colombia is going to be a very emotional game," Bedoya told Goal USA. "Growing up in my house I grew up watching a lot of Argentinian soccer and Colombian soccer. This tournament is very special, because it’s being played here and being able to have family and friends here watching will be special.

“It’s one thing to soak it all in and enjoy the moment, but we’re also playing on home turf and we have a chance to prove ourselves.”

Bedoya will have a bit more on the line than most players on the U.S. team. He is set to make a move away from Nantes this summer,  but a destination has yet to be decided. A strong showing at Copa America could help seal a move to a bigger league, like England or Germany, which has become his new goal after thriving in Ligue 1 this past season. After initially considering a move to MLS this winter, he now seems intent on staying in Europe and trying to take his career to a new height before returning home to the U.S. to finish off his career.

"It's definitely a big tournament for me and for all of us," Bedoya said. "I'll worry about my club situation once the tournament is over, but I know that if I play well things will take care of themselves.

"This is going to be a special tournament, and I just want to make the most of it. Whatever comes after it, I'll be ready for."