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Carlos VelaMexican footballer, forward
Date of Birth: 01.03.1989
Country:  Mexico |
Content:
Biography of Carlos Vela
Early Life and CareerCarlos Vela is a Mexican football player who currently plays as a forward for the club "Real Sociedad" and the Mexico national team. His career began at "Guadalajara", where he played alongside his brother Alejandro. In 2005, he made a significant contribution to his team's victory in the U-17 World Cup held in Peru. Vela was a key figure in the final match against Brazil, which ended with a score of 3-0 in Mexico's favor. With five goals, Vela became the tournament's top scorer and received the Golden Boot.
After the World Cup, Jorge Vergara, the owner and president of "Guadalajara", offered Carlos a professional contract. The footballer's family moved from storm-ravaged Cancun with the help of his club. Vela demonstrated his attachment to his father, whose birthday coincided with the day Mexico defeated Brazil in the U-17 World Cup final, by bringing the cup to the stands where his father was sitting and dedicating the Golden Boot to him.
European Career
Vela's performance on the international stage attracted the attention of several major European clubs. In November 2005, "Arsenal" signed a five-year contract with Carlos. His former club received a compensation of £125,000, which was set to increase to £550,000 after Vela played in 50 official matches for the London club. However, as Carlos was unable to obtain a work permit in England, "Arsenal" had to send him on loan.
Until the end of the 2005/06 season, Vela was loaned to "Celta", but he did not play a single game for them as the Spanish club had reached its limit of non-EU players. The following season, he played for the second division club "Salamanca". This loan turned out to be successful, as Vela scored 8 goals for "Salamanca" and was directly involved in numerous goal-scoring attacks.
After the season, several top Spanish clubs showed interest in the player. As a result, Carlos went on a one-year loan to "Osasuna" with the option to extend the loan for another year. On October 31, 2007, in a match against "Betis", Vela scored his first goal for "Osasuna". He received positive reviews from the Spanish press for his performance in that game.
Years spent in Spain allowed Carlos to obtain Spanish citizenship, which gave him the opportunity to play for "Arsenal". Despite primarily playing on the left flank of midfield while on loan, Arsene Wenger said he saw Vela as a forward similar in playing style to Eduardo.
On August 30, 2008, Vela made his debut for "Arsenal" in a match against "Newcastle". His first goals came a month later. On September 23, in the League Cup, "Arsenal" defeated "Sheffield United" with a score of 6-0. Carlos scored three goals in that game. Later, his second goal was named one of the top 50 goals of "Arsenal" in the last 40 years by the club's fans. His goal against "Portsmouth" on May 2, 2009, made Vela the second Mexican in history to score in the English Premier League (after Jared Borgetti).
At the beginning of the 2009 season, Vela missed games due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for the national team.
On September 22, Vela returned to the field. In the League Cup match against "West Bromwich Albion", he came on as a substitute in the 59th minute. Just 9 minutes later, his shot was deflected by Watt, and in the 78th minute, Vela scored a goal. The match ended with a score of 2-0 in favor of "Arsenal".
On August 16, 2011, the player moved to the Spanish club "Real Sociedad" on a one-year loan.
International Career
Vela participated in the U-17 World Cup, which took place in Peru in 2005. He played a crucial role in his team's victory, becoming the tournament's top scorer.
During his loan spell at "Osasuna", Vela was called up to the senior national team. He made his debut in a friendly match against Brazil. On October 18, 2007, in a match against Guatemala, he scored his first goal for the national team.
Vela was called up for the playoff matches against Belize and for friendly matches. On June 8, 2008, he scored his second goal for the national team in a friendly match against Peru, which ended with a score of 4-0. In the next match, he scored against Belize. On June 21, in the second leg, he scored against Belize again.
In the summer of 2009, Carlos represented the national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In the first match, he scored against Nicaragua but had to leave the field five minutes later due to an injury caused by a foul. There were fears that Vela had broken his leg, but an X-ray showed that the fears were unfounded. In the semi-final against Costa Rica, Vela came on as a substitute in the 81st minute. The regular and extra time ended with a draw, so penalty shootouts were held. Vela took the fifth penalty, and his goal sent Mexico to the final, where they faced the USA. After Vela came on, the course of the match changed. His fast movements and intelligent passes allowed Mexico to secure a 5-0 victory. Vela provided an assist to Dos Santos when a penalty was awarded and scored the third goal himself, as well as providing an assist for the fourth goal.
As of July 2, 2011, Carlos Vela continues to have a successful career in football.
