Carlos Vela is rewriting MLS record books but cares only about lifting Cup
With LAFC 10 points clear of the rest of MLS, Herculez Gomez breaks down how they can join the ranks of the league’s all-time best teams. (1:14)
On pace to set Major League Soccer’s single-season goal-scoring record, LAFC forward Carlos Vela is not focused on the Golden Boot. Leading his club to MLS Cup is a far greater priority.
With 21 goals through 20 games, Vela could shatter the record-setting 31 scored by Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez last season. Vela’s first year in MLS a year ago was a success by any standard, with 14 goals and 12 assists. But now, he is otherworldly. His pace is staggering, with the 16 goals of Martinez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic a distant joint-second. Having missed just a single game this season, Vela’s incredible form puts him in a spot to completely rewrite the league’s record book.
He is, right now, undoubtedly the best player in MLS.
Saying that “of course” he wants to break Martinez’s mark from last season, Vela more so values lifting a trophy at year’s end. Any personal marks within reach simply don’t matter as much.
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“Last year we had a great season, but this season we want to be champions,” Vela told ESPN FC. “We’ve had an incredible first half to our year, but it won’t mean anything if we don’t finish as champions at the end of the season.
“At the end of the day, the only important thing is to continue winning games, making the playoffs and winning MLS Cup. Everything else doesn’t matter.”
The Mexico international has been the catalyst for a team that, despite being in its second year in MLS, is poised to rewrite the record books.
Vela has scored in seven of his last eight league appearances. His consistency is what stands out, dating back to his two-goal performance in mid-March at New York City FC to go along with braces at the Seattle Sounders and in a 6-1 home rout of the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Then there was his two-goal performance in last week’s 3-2 “El Trafico” loss at the LA Galaxy. Set against the backdrop of Ibrahimovic’s derogatory comments that week that diminished not just Vela’s season but his career trajectory, the 30-year-old quietly scored both of his team’s goals in the loss.
As would be expected after his brash comments, Ibrahimovic showed his class, scoring a spectacular hat trick to back up his claims of being the best in MLS. But a compelling argument can be made that Vela’s form puts him at the same level as the Swede, if not in his own class this season.
While Vela is on track to break the league’s scoring record, his team is ready to do some history-rewriting of its own. LAFC is at 46 points, putting it on pace to smash the league’s all-time points tally for a season, with an opportunity to reach 49 on Friday against Atlanta United (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s also squarely on track to beat the most points of any team during its first two seasons in the league, as well as the league’s all-time goal-differential mark in a single season.
In just two years in MLS, LAFC has turned into a juggernaut. The talk of the club being the favorite for the Supporters’ Shield is certainly justified. So, too, is all the MLS Cup talk.
“Last year we missed that extra step, and maybe as a brand-new team, we didn’t know each other as well as we obviously do now,” Vela said. “We believe we have an even better team and a strong shot at winning the Cup. The team is doing the right things, but we’ve got to remain humble and working hard day in and day out to be the best version of ourselves.”
And while he won’t rule out a return to the Mexico national team, Vela’s international future remains somewhat in doubt. Mexico is getting younger under Tata Martino following last summer’s World Cup. Vela, though, is arguably the most in-form Mexican player right now and is at an age where he can still contribute, a point made by his being named captain of the MLS All-Star squad that will face Atletico Madrid next week.
He opted out of a call-up from Mexico for this summer’s Gold Cup, which El Tri won. Given his form and experience — he does have 72 caps — it would seem that Vela could and should have a role with Mexico moving forward.
He is open to a return to the national team, but also seems content to pass the torch.
“I’ve had my processes and opportunities with the Mexican national team. I played a lot of international matches for my country and now I think it’s time to give the younger players and generation a chance,” Vela said.
“That said, I will always support Mexico and I hope that the next core group of players can take the country to places we weren’t able to in the past.”