LAFC will head out to Orlando for MLS is Back Tournament without their biggest star. According to ESPN, Mexican forward Carlos Vela decided he won’t play at the tournament.
According to LA Times’ Kevin Baxter, Vela will sit out the MLS 2020 season resume because his wife is pregnant, and he wants to spend time with her. That wouldn’t be possible in Orlando, as the players won’t be allowed to take their families in a bubble setting.
The loss of Carlos Vela might prove to be a significant blow for LAFC, considering that the 31-year-old has been the club’s best player in the last couple of years. LAFC will head to Orlando early this week where they are scheduled to have their first game on MLS is Back Tournament against Houston Dynamo on July 13th.
In Vela’s absence, LAFC is expected to turn Adama Diomande and their most recent acquisition and MLS veteran Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Since joining LAFC in 2018, Vela scored an astonishing 50 goals in 61 MLS games. He has two MLS All-Star appearances, while MLS Golden Boot and MLS Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019.
