He will only make money, everything else will be lost. Once Carlos Vela leaves the Anoeta Stadium *, he will have put an end to a solid, if not brilliant, European football career envied by many footballers.Vela has retired before his time. Money drove him to sign with a team such as the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) , ranked second in L.A. in one of the least competitive leagues for a player of his stature.
Vela never minded football
. He even declared so in one of the few interviews he gave while in Europe; his hobby is basketball, thus moving closer to the Staples Center is very tempting, considering one makes a lot of money in a league like the Major League Soccer (MLS) , where he will have everything but pressure.
He will reside in the same city his dear friend and partner in adventure, Giovani dos Santos , does and with whom he will be referred to as part of Mexico “golden generation” ; that which didn’t win a thing and from whom expectations were always on the rise.
At least, Dos Santos was a two-time golden medallist and even played for Barcelona Football Club (FCB) , though he put his talent to waste by putting football aside for the sake of other interests.
Going to the MLS has been a good decision, with a difference of nuance, for the likes of Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Pável Pardo , as it was an understandably “now or never” scenario to make good money, after proving they were worthy of success by playing in big clubs. Blanco, is an idol and role model of America Football Club in Mexico , while Pardo won a Bundesliga Championship with the Stuttgart FC .For their part, Dos Santos and Vela are in their prime and in the worst place to transcend; they have settled with little and both their careers will end up without trouble or fanfare.
Vela has only played 43 matches with Mexico’s National Team , just because he refused to do it more often. He always remained irritated with his surroundings and with the media, which is really the least important. It is a fact that he hasn’t lived up to expectation and just before succeeding in this effort he was placed as a reserve by Mexico’s National Team manager, Juan Carlos Osorio against Germany's National Team during the Confederations Cup 2017 ; persistent incongruencies throughout Vela's career.
It is truly wonderful to leave an organization the way he is leaving Real Sociedad FC, as the team has shown him its appreciation by dedicating farewell messages in its s social media, website, and official press releases. The loved one of Guipúzcoa is leaving; a well-valued Mexican footballer who always performed accordingly and who, today, moved his retirement forward though he is to play still.
The real problem is not for Vela, nor is it for the Dos Santos brother. They are all pleased to make a good living, play together and to belong to the élite of a league that will not pose any real challenge or pressure. The crux of the matter is really within Mexico's National Team, as Vela adds to the list of player who will not have any football activity and who should be on Osorio's roster. Osorio, who will go forward unlike anyone during Russia World Cup 2018 by calling for substitute footballers or those who will not have any previous activity to Russia 2018.
*home to the Real Sociedad Football Club (Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D) in San Sebastían, Basque Autonomous Community in Spain
English version by Berenice González