Vela nets 50th MLS goal in LAFC’s 3-3 draw with Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos Vela scored his 50th MLS goal on a beautiful free kick in the 38th minute, and Los Angeles FC rallied from three one-goal deficits to salvage a 3-3 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Sunday night.

Eddie Segura scored the final tying goal in the 71st minute for LAFC (1-0-1). Diego Rossi also scored for Los Angeles, but defensive inconsistency meant the club failed to start 2-0-0 for the first time in its three-season history.

Brenden Aaronson put Philadelphia ahead for the third time in the 69th minute, but Segura banged home a loose ball in the box for his second career MLS goal.

Jakob Glesnes got his first MLS goal and Sergio Santos also scored as the Union (0-1-1) earned their first point of the season despite blowing three leads. Philadelphia also hit LAFC’s crossbar with two shots.

LAFC reconfigured its lineup in the offseason after the best regular season in MLS history, and the new defense clearly is still settling in around new goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer, who shut out Inter Miami in his debut last week.

Santos put Philadelphia ahead in the 29th minute with a curling strike from outside the box, but Vela evened it with a perfectly weighted free kick over the Union defense.

Vela is the third-fastest player in MLS history to 50 goals, accomplishing the feat in his 61st league match. Last season’s MLS Most Valuable Player scored in his league-record 12th consecutive home match.

Glesnes, the Union’s new Norwegian center back, scored in the 48th minute with a long, vicious free kick that eluded Vermeer. Just a minute later, Rossi curled a shot over the Philly defense for the Uruguayan forward’s second impressive goal in three matches.

Rossi also had two goals ruled out by offside. Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake then made a diving stop of Rossi’s header in the 85th minute.

UP NEXT

Philadelphia: hosts San Jose in its home opener Saturday.

LAFC: hosts Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday