CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Concacaf Champions League, the big thing missing for Carlos Vela at LAFC
Carlos Vela has a big gap in his LAFC trophy cabinet and he can fill it with the Concachampions title against León.
LAFC will host León in the second leg of the final of the Concacaf Champions League, where the Mexican team travel north with a one goal advantage. However, in the US, Carlos Vela and company will seek to assert their dominance at home so that, for the second consecutive year, a team from Major League Soccer rise the trophy.
The first leg ended with a slight advantage for the Mexican team, but the truth is that the scoreline could have been much wider and, thankfully for the MLS side, they managed to cut down the lead in added time after Dénis Bouanga finished off a lightning counterattack.
Carlos Vela knows that, as the captain, talisman and hero of LAFC since his arrival at the club in 2018 from Real Sociedad, he has a huge debt when it comes to paying back the fans emotionally, and a Concachampions title would be the perfect way to do so.
Vela: ‘We have no choice but to win’
In this edition of the competition, the Mexican has been able to chip in with 3 goals and 2 assists, and hopes that he will be able to perform well in the return match that will be played at the BMO Stadium.
During the media day ahead of the game, Vela promised that the story will be very different from the first leg: “They could have scored 4 or 5 goals against us, but they left us alive and now it’s our turn to go looking for those goals that they missed. We need to take advantage of our options and it’s about scoring goals, we have no choice but to win to be champions and that’s what we’re going to do tomorrow”.
“Tomorrow in 90 or 120 minutes we will play for a trophy: now we have players with more experience and that makes you play calmer. It’s the only thing we’re thinking about, the title that would be the icing on the cake”, said the LAFC number 10; with words like that, you can see why he is the player who sells the most shirts in MLS.
The Club World Cup is on the horizon for LAFC and León
Both Vela and LAFC know of the significance of winning this title, as it is the most prestigious trophy of the season, and one which would give them a ticket to play in the next Club World Cup, as well as being an international honour for their trophy cabinet.
Vela’s LAFC contract comes to an end in December and in the absence of news regarding his future and whether or not he will continue with the MLS club, it may be the last chance he has to win the Concachampions. And what a way to say goodbye.
What Vela has won with LAFC:
- MLS Top Scorer and MVP - 18/19 season
- MLS Cup Champion - 21/22 season
- Supporters’ Shield - 18/19 and 21/22 seasons
