Photo courtesy of LAFC.
Safe to say, Carlos Vela, right, was in a great mood in Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids.
The theme for MLS’s opening week of the 2022 season; MLS is back.
Yes, the league is back for its 27th season. For LAFC and Carlos Vela in particular, Saturday’s opening match against the Colorado Rapids was more of a chance to show the rest of the league that they are back to being amongst the elite in MLS. Vela owned the afternoon with a hat trick, as his play was crucial to LAFC starting off the season on the right note with a 3-0 win at Banc of California Stadium.
“I think it was a complete game,” LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez said. “For the team, I think it was an evolution from preseason to the first game of the season and I am happy with the results of the game. During the 90 minutes we were the better team, but there were moments when Colorado dominated. I think we did we did a great job, but now we have to look towards the next game against Portland.”
In a match that saw head coach Steve Cherundolo make his debut on the LAFC sidelines, LAFC turned to a familiar name to carry them to the three points. It was just the three goals for Vela, he also displayed the form throughout the match that earned him league MVP honors as well as make him among the league’s top players throughout his time in Los Angeles.
“We are trying to play as good as we can every single day,” Cherundolo said. “Failure means we are not maximizing our potential and that is what I strive to do every day with these players and that is my clear message to the guys. There is no reason to slow down, to let down, to take it easy. We should be pushing ourselves everyday as long as it is physically possible of course, which is what we strive to do with this group. That has been very clear from day 1 and I was very happy what I saw today in those regards.”
Things finally got going for LAFC starting in the 28th minute. Diego Palacios, already inside the penalty area, played a cross, but it went off the hand of Rapids defender Lalas Abubakar and referee Armando Villarreal immediately signaled for the penalty spot. Vela stepped up to the spot and a minute later, took a few hesitation steps before firing the ball to the right as keeper William Yarbrough dove to his left to put LAFC in the lead.
Vela struck again for LAFC in the 36th minute, as Jose Cifuentes forced a turnover, sprung Vela with a long ball, Vela then fought off a last minute challenge by Abubakar as he dribbled into the penalty area and fired a shot past Yarbrough far post to double the LAFC advantage. Vela completed his magical afternoon in the 50th minute, as he received a ball from Cifuentes, dribbled into the penalty area with little resistance from defender Auston Trusty, then chipped a left-footed volley that sailed past Yarbrough, then snuck past the goal line at the far post net.
“In first half, we didn’t finish all that well. We came out a little cold and we made errors in marking on the field,” Cifuentes said. “In the second half, we were able to be calmer, which is what helped Carlos’ goal and helped define the game. That gave us confidence and calmness to play our game.”
Saturday’s convincing win was a far cry from LAFC’s season opener last year. While LAFC won that match over Austin FC, what transpired early in the match could have served as a bad omen for the team’s fortunes. Vela pulled up lame around the 20th minute, then-head coach Bob Bradley subbed him out immediately, but Vela looked surprised and perhaps frustrated to be subbed out, apparently feeling he could’ve continued in the match, which Bradley acknowledged he erred. Vela did eventually miss significant time dealing with lower body injuries, and his absence was felt, as LAFC suffered through inconsistent play and ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
This year’s opener was a completely different story. While the result was still the same, much to LAFCs liking, LAFC looked the far superior side against a Rapids side that won the Western Conference regular season title last year. Much like last year’s opener, which ultimately served a bad sign for LAFC’s chances in 2021, LAFC and Vela are certainly hoping this season’s win serves as a good sign for the team’s fortunes this season.
“We all know what he (Vela) can do and he showed it again today,” Cherundolo said. “He worked very hard in pre-season to get to where he is today. That is a message that I’ve been very clear with him, our communication has been great, so he knows to be able to play like that he has to put in the work and he did.”
LAFC will get another chance to show they are back next week, but it won’t be easy, as they host the Timbers in a Sunday night matinee.
