LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos Vela scored the third hat trick of his Major League Soccer career Saturday afternoon as Los Angeles Football Club opened the season with a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
According to MLS, it is the fifth time a player has scored a hat trick in a team’s opener. The last time was the LA Galaxy’s Mike Magee in 2013 against the Chicago Fire.
Vela was the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2019 with 34 goals before being limited by injuries in 2020 and ’21. The Mexican standout had just nine goals in 27 appearances the past two seasons.