On a historic week for LAFC, it was also a historic week for Carlos Vela.
The club won their first-ever trophy, the 2019 Supporters' Shield, and their star matched history by tying the MLS single-season scoring record. Now, he's been voted MLS Player of the Week for Week 30 of the 2019 regular season.
LAFC triumphed on Wednesday with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo, clinching the Shield in the process. Vela notched the first-half penalty to kick off the scoring, and after the final whistle, raised the trophy as LAFC captain.
Then, he followed up with another opening goal, a signature left-footed curler in LAFC's 1-1 draw at Minnesota United on Sunday. That goal was Vela's 31st on the season, tying him with Josef Martinez for most in a season in MLS history.
It is Vela's fifth Player of the Week award of the season, becoming the first player to nab five MLS Player of the Week awards in a season since Thierry Henry in 2012. Vela leads the league in goals (31) and is third in assists (15) with one regular-season game left to play.
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.
