Carlos Vela Given 4-1 Odds to Win 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award
- 2019 MLS MVP Carlos Vela the front-runner for the 2021 award, with +400 odds heading into the new season
- After an injury-hit 2020 season, 2018 winner Josef Martinez is working his way back to full fitness and is right behind Vela at +500
- Read on for a look at the contenders for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award, full odds and the best bet
Mexico World Cup striker Carlos Vela didn’t quite hit the heady heights of 2019 last year, when he had nine goals in 13 appearances for Los Angeles FC after choosing to sit out most of the season because of COVID-19. However, almost any player in the world would have trouble repeating his 2019 campaign, when he scored a total 38 goals in 36 appearances, setting the single-season MLS record for goals and winning both the Golden Boot and Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
According to former Seattle Sounders winger turned analyst Steve Zakuani, Vela is “the best player in the league and it isn’t close.” The former Arsenal and Real Sociedad forward is a big reason why LAFC is the favorite in the 2021 MLS Cup odds, and Vela is also favored to pick up his second Golden Boot award as the league’s top scorer.
2021 MLS MVP Odds
| Team | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Carlos Vela, Los Angeles FC | +400 |
| Josef Martinez, Atlanta United | +500 |
| Alejandro Pozuelo, Toronto FC | +650 |
| Lucas Zelarayan, Columbus Crew | +650 |
| Gonzalo Higuain, Inter Miami CF | +900 |
| Alan Pulido, Sporting Kansas City | +900 |
| Sebastian Blanco, Portland Timbers | +1100 |
| Raul Ruidiaz, Seattle Sounders | +1100 |
| Emanuel Reynoso, Minnesota United | +1400 |
| Javier Hernandez, Los Angeles Galaxy | +1600 |
| Nani, Orlando City SC | +1600 |
| Robert Beric, Chicago Fire | +2200 |
| Carles Gil, New England Revolution | +2200 |
| Maximiliano Moralez, New York City FC | +2200 |
| Brenner, FC Cincinnati | +2500 |
| Chris Mueller, Orlando City SC | +2500 |
| Andre Blake, Philadelphia Union | +2800 |
| Cecilio Dominguez, Austin FC | +2800 |
| Lucas Cavallini, Vancouver Whitecaps | +3000 |
| Darwin Quintero, Houston Dynamo | +3000 |
| Cristian Espinoza, San Jose Earthquakes | +4000 |
| Jonathan Lewis, Colorado Rapids | +4000 |
| Albert Rusnak, Real Salt Lake | +4000 |
| Jesus Ferreira, FC Dallas | +5000 |
| Edison Flores, D.C. United | +6000 |
| Djordje Mihailovic, CF Montreal | +6600 |
| Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls | +7500 |
| Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC | +7500 |
Odds as of April 15
Vela Firing On All Cylinders
While the 32-year-old might have missed most of last season’s shortened campaign, he barely missed a beat when he returned, scoring four goals in seven appearances in MLS and another three in three appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League to lead LAFC into the final.
Carlos Vela turns 32 today. Since he joined LAFC in 2018 he has:
➖ won MLS Golden Boot
➖ been named MLS MVP
➖ won MLS Supporters’ Shield
➖ 62 goals and 25 assists in 80 gamesBaller ✨
(🎥 via @LAFC)pic.twitter.com/TD4ZrSw1Ps
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 1, 2021
Not only is Vela arguably the most talented player in the entire league, but he also plays for arguably its best team. Though LAFC hasn’t achieved the playoff success that its regular-season dominance would seem to warrant, it is consistently among the favorites to win the MLS Cup over the last couple of seasons and led the league in goals scored both years. Back playing alongside reigning Golden Boot winner Diego Rossi, Vela seems assured to return to his sky-high goal-scoring exploits, and leading the way for another run at both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
Alejandro Overlooked?
Lost in the conversation about Vela and Martinez is the reigning MLS MVP, Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto FC. Playing for a nomadic Canadian club set to begin the season based out of Orlando and Tampa, Pozuelo may be tasked with carrying much of the offensive load for a team that is currently awaiting the return of forward Jozy Altidore from injury and under the new leadership of head coach Chris Armas.
Alejandro Pozuelo received 35.35% of the final MVP vote, followed by Diego Rossi (17.8%) and Nico Lodeiro (10.58%) #TFCLive pic.twitter.com/0JKAUpvxBW
— Michael Singh (@MichaelSingh94) December 7, 2020
With nine goals and 10 assists last season, Pozuelo showed himself capable of leading a team, and with the team moving towards something approaching a youth movement with players such as Jayden Nelson and Ralph Priso, if TFC is once again in contention, Pozuelo’s fingerprints will be all over this team, and he may pick up MVP votes as a result.
Zelarayan Set to Shine
The best value of all may be found in the Ohio capital, however. Lucas Zelarayan was named the MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2020, coming over from Tigres in Liga MX and putting up six goals and four assists in just 16 appearances for the Columbus Crew. Of course, his real value became truly apparent on the biggest stage of all, as he scored two goals and set up the other in a 3-0 win over Seattle in the MLS Cup, winning MLS Cup MVP honors in the process.
▪️ Lucas Zelarayan (2020)
▪️ Alecko Eskandarian (2004)
▪️ Landon Donovan (2003)Only 3 players have ever scored a brace in #MLSCup. 😍 pic.twitter.com/4ViONB0GQb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 14, 2020
It remains to be seen what the Argentine can produce for an encore, but having found his feet last year, his chances to shine may be even better in 2021, particularly with Columbus picking up the likes of Kevin Molino and Bradley Wright-Phillips to bolster their ranks. Already at home in one of the most complete rosters in MLS, the 28-year-old could produce something special.
Best bet: Lucas Zelarayan (+650)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
