Watch: Vela nets hat-trick to smash scoring record, win Golden Boot
Step aside, Josef Martinez.
Los Angeles FC superstar Carlos Vela broke the MLS single-season scoring record in style on Sunday, finishing the year with 34 goals - and the Golden Boot - after netting a hat-trick on the final day of the campaign.
The Mexican forward went into Decision Day needing just a single tally to establish a new benchmark, and quickly re-wrote the history books with a sublime curler in the first half of LAFC's clash with Colorado.
But Vela, who was the front-runner for the MVP award even before his record-setting strike, wasn't done there. He added to his total shortly after, converting an acrobatic effort for No. 33 on the year.
The 30-year-old then did his best to ensure his new record won't be surpassed, as he completed his hat-trick with a tap-in early in the second stanza.
Martinez, who was instrumental in helping Atlanta United hoist the MLS Cup last year, ultimately held the record for less than a season after he found the net 31 times in 2018.
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