But this year he has really poured it on, scoring his 31 goals in 30 games. He also has 15 assists, rating third in the league, an unusual combination of skills.

“You either get a Wondo or Josef Martinez that are pure finishers or you get the pure passers,” his L.A.F.C. teammate Steven Beitashour told The Athletic, referring to Wondolowski of the Earthquakes. “To have someone with their ability to put a ball on a dime for an assist or have the wherewithal to finish is rare.”

Vela is part of an electrifying offense at L.A.F.C. With a game to go, the team has 82 goals, 21 more than the next closest team, New York City F.C. That is the second highest total in league history, trailing the 85 by the L.A. Galaxy in 1998, so long ago that the team was led by Cobi Jones.

You score goals by shooting, of course, and Vela leads the league with 154 shots and 67 shots on goal. But it isn’t just volume that has him on top of the scoring list. Vela has astounding skill, as evidenced by his best goal against San Jose in August.