Vela named captain of All-Star team
The current leader of the MLS Golden Boot race and favorite to win MVP will wear the captain’s armband for the 2019 MLS All-Star Game. Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela was voted captain of the MLS All-Star team for the second consecutive season through a vote that took place on Twitter.
The MLS All-Stars will play Atlético de Madrid at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at Exploria Stadium. FS1 will broadcast the game.
Vela has 21 goals and 12 assists through 20 games for LAFC, which holds a seven-point lead in the Supporters’ Shield race.
The 30-year-old Mexican midfielder holds a five-goal advantage over the Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Atlanta’s Josef Martinez in the Golden Boot race, and he is one short of assist leader Maxi Moralez.
Vela has recorded five multiple-goal games, including his brace Friday against the LA Galaxy.
He beat Orlando City’s Nani, San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski and D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney to win the captain vote.
No suspension
The MLS disciplinary committee will not punish Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after reviewing video of a violent incident during last week’s win over crosstown rival LAFC. But the committee did not clear him either, informing the Galaxy that Ibrahimovic has been issued a warning, meaning he is subject to suspension and other penalties if he repeats a similarly reckless play.
Four minutes into stoppage time of the Galaxy’s 3-2 victory, Ibrahimovic and LAFC defender Mohamed El-Munir leapt in tandem to compete for a header. But as he went up, Ibrahimovic struck El-Munir in the side of the head with his left forearm and elbow.
El-Munir collapsed to the turf clutching his head and was subbed off three minutes later. He is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday to repair a fractured cheekbone and will likely miss the rest of the regular season.
The incident came 12 minutes after El-Munir stomped on the right leg of Galaxy midfielder Joe Corona. Referee Jair Marrufo did not call a foul on either play and while the disciplinary committee also reviewed the El-Munir challenge and considered it to be a serious foul, it has not recommended a suspension in that incident either.
After the game Zak Abdel, LAFC’s goalkeeper coach, charged Ibrahimovic to complain about the injury to El-Munir. The pair was quickly separated by two Galaxy officials.
The MLS disciplinary committee, made up of three former MLS players, one former coach and a former referee, meets weekly to look at video of a variety of plays, including so-called parameter three reviews, which are plays in which the on-field official did not issue a red or yellow card. In those reviews the committee can recommend only multigame suspensions and the five members who met this week could not reach a unanimous decision that Ibrahimovic’s action deserved such a ban.
Ibrahimovic, who had a hat trick in the LAFC game and is tied for second in MLS with 16 goals, was suspended three times previously during his two seasons in the league, most recently in May after he grabbed New York City goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck with his right hand before the players wrestled one another to the turf.
Johnson lay on the grass for several seconds clutching at his face. After the game, Johnson angrily confronted Ibrahimovic, who was suspended for two games and fined. Johnson was not punished for his part in the incident.
Ibrahimovic, 37, was also fined but not suspended for embellishment during a May game at Columbus.
Celebrate MLS All-Star Week
Pro Soccer USA is offering readers eight chances to win prizes leading up to the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday at Exploria Stadium.
The Pro Soccer USA AllStar Challenge presented by Publix is a daily quiz kicking off today on ProSoccerUSA.com. Readers answer one question for a chance to win a $50 Publix gift card every day through Thursday.
On Sunday, join us for Pro Soccer USA’s All-Star Trivia Brunch presented by Publix. We’re gathering at Lions Pride, 123 W. Church St. in the heart of downtown Orlando.
The first 100 readers at the event can enjoy one complimentary drink and food. Sign-up starts at 1 p.m. Trivia begins at 2 p.m. and will feature three rounds of 10 questions. The first-, secondand third-place teams will win a variety of MLSthemed prize packages.
Each trivia participant also gets a raffle ticket for the chance to win additional prizes throughout the event, including a signed Kaká jersey.
For more information, visit ProSoccerUSA.com.
The Los Angeles Times’ Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.