| Full name | Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 March 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Striker / Left winger | ||
Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido (born 1 March 1989 in Cancún, Quintana Roo) is a Mexican footballer, currently playing as a striker for Premier League club West Bromwich Albion on loan from Arsenal. He also plays for the Mexico national football team. He started his career at Mexican club Guadalajara, and caught the eye after finishing as the top scorer at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship. After joining Arsenal, he has had loan spells at Spanish clubs Salamanca and Osasuna.
Aside from his Mexican nationality, Vela also holds a Spanish passport
Club career
Guadalajara
Carlos Vela's career started with Guadalajara, alongside his brother Alejandro Vela. After winning the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship with Mexico and finishing as the top scorer with five goals, Jorge Vergara, owner and president of Chivas de Guadalajara, offered to sign him. Since Vela's family lived in the then-recently-storm-stricken Cancún, Quintana Roo, he asked that the club help relocate them as a condition of his signing. Vela had previously shown his great affection to his father, whose birthday fell on the day on which Mexico beat Brazil in the final of the U-17 World Cup, by carrying the cup to his father and dedicating his Golden Boot to him.[3]Arsenal
Vela attracted interest from a number of European clubs, and eventually Arsenal won the race for his signature in November 2005 on a five-year deal for a £125k fee that will rise to £550k if he plays 50 first-team games.[4] However, since English work permit restrictions for non-EU citizens prevented him from playing in England, Arsenal quickly loaned him out to Celta de Vigo in February 2006, but was returned right away with no games played.[5]Salamanca
At the end of the season, Vela was sent to Spanish Segunda División club Salamanca, on loan for the 2006–07 season.[6] He would have a successful stay there, creating many of Salamanca's 53 goals, eight of which he scored himself.[7]Osasuna
After his loan spell with Salamanca ended, bigger clubs of La Liga, such as Levante, Osasuna and Almería were all interested in taking him on loan from Arsenal for whom he was still ineligible to play as he still had yet to receive a work permit.[8] Eventually, a one year loan move to Osasuna was agreed, with the option of an extension for another year. However, no permanent option had been contemplated.[8][9][10] On 31 October 2007, he scored his first goal with Osasuna, in a match against Real Betis, a performance that went on to earn several plaudits from the Spanish press.[11]Return to Arsenal
On 22 May 2008, Vela was granted a work permit that allowed him to play in England. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger confirmed that Vela would be involved with the first team in the coming season and that he predominantly views Vela as a striker in the Eduardo mould.[12][13]Vela made his competitive debut for Arsenal on 30 August 2008 in their Premier League match against Newcastle United, coming on as a substitute for Robin Van Persie in the 63rd minute. Arsenal won the match 3–0. In his full debut on 23 September 2008 against Sheffield United in the League Cup, Vela scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win, with his second goal recently voted as one of Arsenal's 50 greatest goals.[14] The match was also notable for featuring Arsenal's youngest ever side, with an average age of 19.[15]
On 8 March 2009, in the FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Burnley, Vela scored the first goal in a 3–0 win, chipping the ball over the keeper and into the goal.[16] He scored his first goal in the Premier League for Arsenal away to Portsmouth on 2 May 2009[17] making him just the second Mexican player to score a goal in the Premier League.
On 28 April 2009, he was excluded from Arsenal's training session as a precaution due to the 2009 swine flu outbreak. Vela had two friends from Mexico visit him over the weekend and Arsenal were asked to keep him away. However, he returned to training the next day after being given the all-clear.[18]
Vela missed Arsenal's pre-season campaign of the 2009–10 season after suffering an ankle injury which kept him out until September. He returned to action on 22 September by coming off the bench in Arsenal's 2–0 win by assisting the first and scoring the second goal against West Bromwich Albion in the Carling Cup. On November 21, 2009 Vela made his first appearance this season in the Premier League away to Sunderland, playing 21 minutes after coming on as a substitute for Eduardo. Vela renewed his contract with Arsenal on 10 December 2009.[19] On 4 May 2010, Vela played his 50th game in an Arsenal shirt, against Blackburn Rovers. On 9 May 2010, he scored the fourth goal of Arsenal's victory over Fulham.
Vela currently wears the number 11 shirt for the 2010–11 campaign, as Robin van Persie has switched to the number 10, which was vacated by former Arsenal defender William Gallas. Coincidently, his brother Alejandro also wears the number 11 shirt for Cruz Azul in Mexico. He scored his first goal of the season against Bolton Wanderers in a 4–1 home win on 11 September 2010.[20] On 15 September 2010 Vela scored two goals in the UEFA Champions League when Arsenal beat Portuguese side SC Braga 6–0.[21]
West Brom
On 28 January 2011, Vela joined West Bromwich Albion on loan until the end of the 2010-11 season. He made his debut on 1 February 2011 in a 2-2 draw against Wigan Athletic playing 58 minutes of the game .[22] He scored his first goal coming in as a substitute for the Baggies in his third match for the club with a 92nd minute equaliser against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 20 February 2011. Vela once again scored for West Brom in the dying minutes of a game against Stoke City to salvage a 1-1 draw yet again after coming on as a late substitute.[23]International career
Vela played in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, held in Peru, where he helped Mexico to victory. He was a pivotal figure in the final against Brazil as Mexico triumphed 3–0. Vela subsequently finished as top scorer with five goals, claiming the Adidas Golden Boot.During his stay at Osasuna, Vela made his full international debut for Mexico in a September 2007 friendly against Brazil. On 18 October 2007, Vela scored his first senior international goal for Mexico in a friendly against Guatemala played in Los Angeles.
Vela was called up for the two-legged playoff against Belize and the preceding friendlies. On 8 June 2008, Vela scored his second senior international goal for Mexico in a friendly against Peru at the 20th minute to help Mexico with their 4–0 victory. A match later for Mexico he scored in their qualifying opener versus Belize making the match 1–0. In the return leg against Belize he again scored the opening goal of the match and beginning the 7–0 rout in favour of Mexico.
In mid-2009, Vela was called up to play in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored his fifth goal in a preparation friendly for the Gold Cup against Venezuela. Vela subsequently started in Mexico's opener against Nicaragua. However, after five minutes, an opposing player tackled Vela and he fell awkwardly on his right leg. However, x-rays showed he did not break anything and could play again in the tournament.[24] Mexico would advance to the semi-finals against Costa Rica, where Vela would make his return in the 81st minute. After extra time, the game was tied 1–1 and went to penalties. After Guillermo Ochoa saved Ledezma's penalty, Vela scored Mexico's fifth penalty to send them to the final. In the Gold Cup final, Vela was brought on at half time with the score deadlocked at 0–0. Mexico went on to defeat the US 5–0 with Vela providing the pass to Giovani Dos Santos for the first penalty, creating the second goal, scoring the third and assisting the fourth.[25] Vela scored one goal and assisted a goal in Mexico's 4–1 win over El Salvador which meant Mexico qualified for the 2010 World Cup. In the match against New Zealand, he scored a goal, in which he took out three defenders before tapping the ball next to the goalkeeper Glen Moss.
On 3 June 2010, he scored his first international goal against a team from Europe, Italy. He scored the first goal of the game with an assist from Giovani dos Santos. Mexico won this game 2-1.
During a game against France he got struck in the right leg and got injured, Vela went out in the first half against and missed the 1-0 loss to Uruguay. When Mexico played Uruguay in the World Cup Vela's place was taken by Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
On 21 September 2010 it was announced that Vela and fellow Mexican international Efrain Juarez would be suspended from the Mexican National Team for 6 months for their involvement in a party on 7 September in Monterrey following a game with Colombia.[26] Vela and 12 other players will also be fined 50,000 Mexican peso (approx. US$3,953 as of 24 September 2010), and the money collected will most likely be used to help the flood victims in the Mexican state of Veracruz
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