Major League Soccer's top scorer is happy, and he has not always been able to say that.
Carlos Vela won the Golden Boot with 34 goals this season for LAFC, four more than crosstown rival Zlatan Ibrahimovic's haul with the LA Galaxy.
Now, as the team prepares for the playoffs, he is reflecting on the decision to join the team, which started two years ago.
It has not taken long for Vela and the team to find success, with a strong showing in 2018 topped by this year's campaign, which saw LAFC run away with the Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, with 72 points.
More importantly to the 30-year-old, he is feeling joy playing the game once again.
"I’m really happy, first of all, to be part of this team because it returned to me the happiness I was seeking. I maybe didn’t have as much excitement about playing like I have now, and after that I have to thank my teammates," Vela told TUDN.
"It’s an individual achievement, but it’s a full-team job. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to have all the goals I have or everything I was able to do.
"I think it’s a success we’ve created because we started from nothing with this team, so I feel like I really participated in everything we’re getting. I’m thankful for everything that’s happening."
Vela's decision to join LAFC from Real Sociedad while still in the prime of his career has been criticized by plenty, as has his choice not to suit up for the Mexico national team going forward after the 2018 World Cup.
For Vela, however, he is confident he could still match the standard required of players in Europe but prefers to be playing in the U.S.
"I’ve always said that of course I think I could play in important teams in Europe and be an important player, but at the time everything happened I needed or I thought it would be best for career to come here," he said.
"I think today, the result I was looking for is happening. It’s a bit of what I’ve always said, to try and look for the best for my life and my family, and I’m here. The rest is out of my hands."
Firmly in his grasp, however, is how LAFC performs in the playoffs. The team is enjoying a first-round bye by virtue of finishing atop the Western Conference but will begin its quest for MLS Cup on October 24 against either the Galaxy or Minnesota United.
