The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced today that forward Carlos Vela was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2019 MLS campaign.
This marks Vela’s second Player of the Week selection of the year after receiving the honor for his two-goal and one-assist performance during the 4-1 win over the Portland Timbers in Week 2.
On Saturday afternoon, LAFC defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 5-0 at Avaya Stadium behind a dominant performance from Vela who finished with his first MLS hat trick along with an assist. This season, Vela currently leads the league in goals (6), shots (26), shots on goal (10), and is also tied for first in assists (3).
The 30-year-old forward put the Black & Gold on the board early, capitalizing on a goalkeeper error to finish with a tap in on an empty net in the 8th minute (GOAL). Moments before the interval, LAFC took a 3-0 lead when Vela finished a Diego Rossi cross with a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the goal (GOAL).
Vela completed his first-ever hat trick in MLS with a stunning curler from outside the box into the top left corner of the goal in the 66th minutes (GOAL). Two minutes later, he found Rossi in the box with a quick pass, setting up the Uruguayan’s third tally of the season (ASSIST).
LAFC (4-0-1; 13 points) travels to the nation’s capital for a battle between conference leaders on Saturday, April 6. The Black & Gold will take on D.C. United at Audi Field with kickoff slated for 12:00 p.m. PT (FOX, ESPN 710 AM, 980 AM).
