Despite the fact several football experts still view the MLS as a “retirement league”, there’s no question the US top-flight has improved vastly in recent years. Every year there are better players in the league and the overall quality of the competition has increased.
Things are not different in 2019, although there’s a huge difference. Roughly three months into the season, we already have clarity regarding which player will win the MVP Award. Because honestly – who is going to take it away from Carlos Vela? The 30-year-old Mexico international has been a sensation in the MLS and he’s undoubtedly in the best form of his career.
Playing for Los Angeles FC – who are one of the top sides in the Western Conference – Vela has been thriving and playing at an extremely high level. The numbers don’t lie, and the former Arsenal and Real Sociedad star already has 11 goals and 5 assists in only 11 matches. Talk about looking dominant, huh?
Consistency has been Vela s biggest trait so far
Vela’s form looks even more impressive if we consider how productive he’s been, because he hasn’t scored his 11 goals in two or three matches. Instead, the Mexican forward has either scored or assisted in seven of the nine matches where LAFC have scored at least once.
Arguably, his best performance of the season came on March 30. Playing against the San Jose Earthquakes, Vela registered three goals and one assist in LAFC’s 5-0 win over the Quakes.
This is exactly what LAFC fans expected from Vela when the club signed him as a Designated Player last season. He had 14 goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances last season, but he’s well on track to top both marks here in 2019. While other players have looked impressive during the current MLS season, none has had the impact Vela has produced on LAFC.
And if he can keep this up for a few more months, there’s a big chance he might lock down the MLS MVP Award around the All-Star Break. He’s been THAT impressive in 2019.
