Carlos Vela to skip MLS Tournament in Orlando
One of the best players in Major League Soccer will not be playing in the tournament that begins this Wednesday in Orlando, Florida.
L.A. Times writer Kevin Baxter posted on his twitter account that the Mexican striker would not be making the trip to Orlando with the team, which will kick-off their tournament on Monday, July 13, versus the Houston Dynamo.
After having a lackluster debut in the 2018 season, Vela lit up the nets and broke the record for most goals (34) in a season in 2019. Carlos is considered one of the biggest draws in M.L.S., and his absence could affect the ratings.
Vela’s wife is expecting their child, and during the pandemic, the player does not want to take any chances on contracting COVID-19, despite the safety measures the league is planning on making. At the end of the day, whatever Carlos’s reasons were, they must be respected as the COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise, and Florida has recently taken a toll.
The loss of Vela is not only a big blow to Major League Soccer, but also LAFC, as now Bob Bradley will have to do without his best player.
The good news for the league, is that the new recently signed stars like Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, whose girlfriend is also pregnant, Alan Pulido and Rodolfo Pizarro have not announced nor made any intentions of skipping the tournament. Inter Miami and Pizarro are scheduled to play this Wednesday versus Orlando City SC in the first game since the official league stoppage due to COVID-19.
