'Special' Carlos Vela is a 'fantastic leader and player' says the teammate of the new MLS MVP

Vela was named the MLS' Most Valuable Player on Monday after a record-breaking season in which he managed 34 goals and 15 assists.
"For us, it's all about the connection that we have, not just us two, but the entire team," Rossi told Business Insider. "He is a motivation for the rest of the players and someone that I want to emulate and constantly learn from."
Rossi also managed 16 goals in 2019, but he and Vela's returns couldn't stop LAFC from crashing out of the MLS playoffs at the hands of the Seattle Sounders.
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Carlos Vela is a "special" player whom everyone at Los Angeles FC wants to learn from, according to his teammate Diego Rossi.

Vela was named the MLS' Most Valuable Player on Monday after a record-breaking season in which he managed 34 goals and 15 assists.

"Carlos has brought something very special for us. He is a fantastic player and leader," The Uruguayan told Business Insider of his strike partner and mentor.

"For us, it's all about the connection that we have, not just us two, but the entire team. The pressure is there but having Carlos next [to us] helps quite a lot.

"Carlos is always giving us advice and ideas to improve. We all know that he is a fantastic player, so we want to learn from him. He is a motivation for the rest of the players and someone that I want to emulate and constantly learn from."

Rossi and Vela have struck up a synergistic relationship in their two seasons together at the Banc of California Stadium, scoring a combined 76 goals since the start of the 2018 campaign, 50 of which came this term.

Their impressive returns this term helped LAFC to win Western Conference by a 16 point margin, however, the duo were unable to guide Bob Bradley's side to a first-ever MLS Cup crashing out in the semi-finals of the playoffs at the hands of the Seattle Sounders.

Vela, however, the first-ever Mexican player to win the MVP award, promises he and his side will be back bigger and better next season.

" Nobody expected this end for our season, but we know in the playoffs it's one game, 90 minutes," he told the Los Angeles Times. "If they make better plays than you, then you're out. In the end, we have to be proud of what we've done all year and learn.

"[But] we have to change some things and get stronger to come back next year and be better. It's the only way to be a good club."

Vela won the prize by a landslide margin, receiving just under 70% of the total vote, beating both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and last year's winner Josef Martinez.

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