LAFC announced today that forward Carlos Vela was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 31st and final week of the 2019 MLS season. This is Vela’s sixth Player of the Week honor this season, tied for the most in MLS history in one year, previously winning the award for his performances in the second, fifth, 18th, 25th and 30th week of play.
Vela scored a hat-trick on MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T to help LAFC to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. With the hat-trick, Vela set a new MLS single-season goalscoring record, finishing the season with 34 goals.
LAFC also broke the MLS single-season points record on Sunday, finishing the year atop the league standings with 72 points (21-4-9 overall record). Last week, the club clinched the 2019 Supporters’ Shield, along with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Club’s first-ever Designated Player broke the single-season goalscoring record in the 28th minute when he drilled a long-range left-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner of goal past a diving Tim Howard.
Vela then extended the record, scoring a tremendous bicycle kick from inside the box in the 31st minute to give LAFC a 2-0 lead. Following a Colorado score, Vela completed his hat-trick in the 51st minute, finishing with a left-footed tap in right in front of goal off a Tristan Blackmon cross. The 34 goals this season for Vela are tied for the third-most worldwide.
LAFC has a bye during Round One of the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs and next hosts the winner of Minnesota United and LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday, October 24 (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN / ESPN Deportes).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
