The Mexican Carlos Vela signs a hat trick on the opening day of the MLS

The best Carlos Vela is back in MLS. After two seasons plagued by injuries, the Mexican striker scored a hat-trick on Saturday in the first day of the US league to give Los Angeles FC a 3-0 victory over Colorado Rapids.

In other games of the opening date, the Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri, one of the great signings of the season, made his debut with the Chicago Fire in the 0-0 draw against Inter Miami led by Argentine Gonzalo Higuaín.

In Los Angeles, Carlos Vela’s exhibition began in the 29th minute, converting a penalty signaled by a handball from Ghanaian Lalas Abubakar.

In minute 35, the captain of Los Angeles FC (LAFC) scored his second goal by resolving a one-on-one match against Mexican-American goalkeeper William Yarbrough.

The former Arsenal and Real Sociedad player completed the ‘hat trick’ in the 50th minute with a spectacular action in which he faced his defender at the peak of the right area and unleashed a left-footed shot that slipped close to the opposite post.

“We all know what Carlos can do and today he showed it again,” Steve Cherundolo said in his first game as LAFC manager. “He has worked very hard in the preseason to get to where he is today. He knows that in order to play like this he has to work hard and he has.”

It was the Mexican’s first hat-trick in MLS since the one achieved in October 2019, also against Colorado.

At the end of that campaign, in which he was elected MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the MLS, Vela began a decline, affected by various injuries.

The 32-year-old forward himself did not rule out that he could leave LAFC in the summer (Boreal), where he has been the absolute leader for five years but has not been able to reach a final.

Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, opened the campaign drawing 0-0 with Shaqiri’s Chicago Fire, a former Liverpool and Bayern Munich player.

The Swiss captain was very active throughout the clash at Inter’s DRV PNK Stadium, but the game ended without either team completing any of their many chances.

The Argentine Higuaín, in his new role as playmaker, gave two great assists that were wasted by the Ecuadorian Leonardo Campana, Inter’s new striker.

Shaqiri, meanwhile, threatened Inter’s goal in the first half with a powerful shot from outside the area that Frenchman Clément Diop hurriedly cleared.

Assisted by Argentinian Franco Fragapane, Finnish midfielder Robin Lod scored the first goal of the new MLS season in a 1-1 draw between the Philadelphia Union and Minnesota United.

In the 23rd minute, Lod nailed a killer pass from the left by Argentine Franco Fragapane from the penalty spot.

The Philadelphia Union equalized at 35 through Jamaican Cory Burke.

In another of the nine games on the first date, the Columbus Crew crushed the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-0 with a goal from their Argentine star Lucas Zelarayán.

The former Tigres de México midfielder completed the win by receiving the ball in the area surrounded by rivals, cutting Serbian Ranko Veselinovic and shooting the Canadian goalkeeper with a left-footed shot.

In his turn, the San Jose Earthquakes of the Argentine coach Matías Almeyda fell on his court 3-1 against the New York Red Bulls.

The Polish Patryk Klimala and the Americans Omir Fernández and Tom Barlow scored for the New York team while the Mexican Eduardo ‘Chofis’ López discounted for San Jose.

For its part, Charlotte FC began its journey as the 28th team in the MLS with a 3-0 defeat against DC United, with a brace from Ecuador’s Michael Estrada and another goal from Norway’s Ola Kamara.

— Results of the first day of the MLS:

– Saturday:

Philadelphia Union – Minnesota United 1-1

Columbus Crew – Vancouver Whitecaps 4-0

Los Angeles FC – Colorado Rapids 3-0

FC Dallas – Toronto FC 1-1

Austin FC – FC Cincinnati 5-0

DC United – Charlotte FC 3-0

Inter Miami – Chicago Fire 0-0

San Jose Earthquakes – New York Red Bulls 1-3

Portland Timbers – New England Revolution 2-2

– Sunday:

Orlando City – CF Montreal

Atlanta United – Sporting Kansas City

LA Galaxy – New York City FC

Houston Dynamo – Real Salt Lake

Seattle Sounders – Nashville SC

gbv/dl

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