When Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya scored a goal Sunday, he ran to the on-field microphone and, just hours after at least 31 people were killed in shootings in El Paso and Dayton, shouted into it for all to hear, "Congress, do something now. End gun violence. Let's go!"

Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath was asked if he had thoughts about MLS players speaking up on such an issue.

"Yeah, a lot of thoughts," Heath said. "If somebody would ask me what my politics are, I would say more right wing than left wing, but the gun laws in this country blow me away. I can't get my head around it. The sooner that people understand this is not going away unless we have tighter gun controls, then more and more of these things are going to happen."

Bedoya was born in New Jersey, raised in Florida and is of Colombian descent. Heath was born and raised in England before coming to the United States a decade ago.

JERRY ZGODA