LOS ANGELES — Carlos Vela joined Los Angeles F.C. with a reputation. A couple, actually. The first was as a goal scorer, a forward possessing the sort of talent that makes defenders shudder.

But over the course of more than a decade in Europe, Vela also became known for a variety of operatic interludes: for clashing with managers who sometimes questioned his commitment, for having the gall to say he preferred to watch basketball in his spare time and for repeatedly turning down overtures from the Mexican soccer federation, a series of disputes that led to his missing the 2014 World Cup.

His arrival in Los Angeles, and in Major League Soccer, before the start of last season stirred up even more controversy. To critics of his decision, Vela was leaving the Spanish club Real Sociedad, and a league where he faced some of the best teams in the world, so he could move to California at the height of his career and dribble around lesser talent. To be clear, while M.L.S. has made many improvements in its standard of play, it is not La Liga.