USMNT's Alejandro Bedoya and Eric Wynalda Have a Nice Little Twitter Fight

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a good old fashioned Soccer Twitter Fight.

It started, as often, with a few tweets from FOX Sports soccer analyst and former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda, one of the bigger characters in American soccer. He has, over the years, quit and rejoined twitter a number of times. Backlash to his prodigious and unvarnished output would drive ol' Waldo away, only for him to be pulled back in.

The subject this time was midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, in the wake of Bedoya and the men's national team beating Trinidad and Tobago 4-0 and securing passage into the final phase of World Cup qualifying. Wynalda has said plainly that he doesn't think highly of Bedoya on several occasions.

We start with Wynalda responding to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, who said that Bedoya's ability on defense likely meant that he would make the national team. And the two had a back and forth about Wynalda's "well documented" distaste for him.

Oh boy https://t.co/x7R60wDMTZ
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 7, 2016

Nothing personal- but I dislike being average and I like being better- it's called honesty - sometimes it stings https://t.co/07uHHQzt8Y
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 7, 2016

Love you Jeff-I really do-but let's just not have this conversation tonight :) Bedoya was terrible tonight- terrible https://t.co/1FnE3Jip3o
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 7, 2016

My only answer to that is I don't know- there are many that rate him- I believe there are many who are better https://t.co/IrmRDpozq6
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 7, 2016

The latter tweet was sent Wednesday morning, the night after the first flurry. And Bedoya, a proud Boston College grad with a degree in economics, was fed up. (Bedoya has since deleted this initial tweet)

Some context here: John Harkes was thrown off the 1998 World Cup team, even though he'd previously been labeled "captain for life" by head coach Steve Sampson. As we found out years later, it was because Harkes had had an affair with Wynalda's wife. Wynalda, meanwhile, has spent years lobbying for head coaching jobs in MLS but never landed one, likely because of his outspokenness.

I can take criticism. Last night I was off my game & not good enough but this dude has a well documented dislike for me that I don't get.
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) September 7, 2016

Never seen someone try so hard to remain relevant. Begs for coaching jobs, TV commentator, analyst & a random radio show. You're a #HasBeen.
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) September 7, 2016

Wynalda fired back.

Focus on "better" not bitter. I had my opinions of your play- I did not know that you had zero class- @ussoccerhttps://t.co/S40RsViUUv
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 7, 2016

Back to Bedoya.

You're dislike for me for is no secret. I sacrifice a lot to strive for better. I've earned everything. #LifeGoesOn https://t.co/CkT8BVtWy0
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) September 7, 2016

Fire emojis.