Carlos Vela exited the locker room Monday with heavy legs and a wry smile. He had just finished the Los Angeles Football Club’s first training session of the new season, literally running circles around the rest of the team by jogging along the perimeter of the field while his teammates scrimmaged inside.
“It’s nice to be back in the sunshine,” said Vela, who returned last week from an offseason vacation to his girlfriend’s home in San Sebastian, Spain, where the sun was mostly a rumor. As for that other rumor, the one that had Vela heading back to Spain to join superclub Barcelona, he again asked for patience.