2022 MLS CUP: LAFC VS PHILADELPHIA

November 5, 2022

Carlos Vela

Banc of California Stadium

Los Angeles FC

Postgame Press Conference

LAFC 3, Philadelphia Union 3

3-0 Penalties

Q. What were your thoughts when Bob Bradley would not be coaching and Steve would be coming in? What was the transition like coach to coach, and did a moment like this feel tangible at a time like that?

CARLOS VELA: I mean, everything in life needs to change sometimes when something is not getting where you want, you have to move things. You have to try something different and that is what the club did.

In my case, I was not thinking of Bob Bradley. I was thinking about myself. I finished my contract and thinking about if I stay here or not.

And in the end we talk about the future, and we say like, come on, we need the trophy before I can leave the club or I can retire. Give me the chance.

It's not about money and it's not about what I can do here. It's about I come here with a reason. I come here with a target and it was like, give me more time.

I know it was long, these five years, but in the end, we want more and we feel how good it is to be champions, and so we want to work to get more.

Q. Just can you take me through what it was like for you being on the bench those last 10, 15 minutes, seeing Max's injury and them being down ten men and Gareth's goal and then the shootout, how much of a roller coaster it was?

CARLOS VELA: To be quick and simple, for 10 minutes, 15, it was like Halloween movie.

And then we finished with a Hollywood movie, like dreaming things, like something you can't imagine can happen, can happen.

In my head was something like that, changing one movie to another or the second.

When you are outside, you have more time to think, more things are coming in your head, like why I'm not there, I can't help my team. They need me, and I can go to take a penalty, put me in again.

Many things have happened, but in the end when it worked, my team it did, it's like made me feel so proud because in the end we say like this year, we have a really, really good team. It's not about the 11 that start. It's like a really good team. Like anybody can come and make the difference.

Other years, maybe I feel like if I'm not good, the team is not that good. This year was like I would do my best for 60 minutes, 90 minutes and the guys coming maybe can do better than me.

I think it was that different between other years and this one, and we get the reward.

Q. You mentioned you didn't feel you could leave the club and you couldn't retire or anything until you won an MLS Cup with LAFC. Now that you've won an MLS Cup with LAFC, what does your future hold at this point?

CARLOS VELA: Well, I think in my soonest future maybe go to Vegas or something like that. I'm feeling good, so maybe I can win some money or something.

And after that, for sure, I want to still be here. I want to enjoy the Champions League, the new Cup is coming, and win more.

When you get a trophy, you want more. Maybe it's selfish, say, how cool it is.

So I want more. So I feel like that right now. I feel like I want to take some time to rest, but I want to come back, and I want to do better because this is special, the first one, but if you get more, you can say, okay, I can retire now.

So maybe one more, two more and I retire. So take me for a couple of years.

Q. You came to Los Angeles in 2017 committed to doing something special; that's what you were sold on doing. Do you feel you've done that?

CARLOS VELA: Of course. We do something special. I think when you come to L.A., you know how big is the city, how cool is the city, how many clubs, basketball, baseball, NFL, makes championships in the city, so I said, why not us, why can't I be there, the level of the big names of the city?

So I had that in my mind. I put the target. And today, finally, we get it. Like I say, we take long to get it, but we get it.

I feel like we can do it before, but now is the time and we have to enjoy that.