Carlos Vela gets first career MLS hat trick in LAFC victory over San Jose

Reporting from SAN JOSE — Carlos Vela capped his first career MLS hat trick with a curling shot from distance and LAFC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 5-0 on Saturday.

Vela has six goals and three assists in five games this season.

LAFC (4-0-1) opened the scoring in the eighth minute by capitalizing on a goalkeeper mistake as Daniel Vega whiffed on a clearance attempt and Vela walked it into the back of the net in the eighth minute. Vela added a goal in first-half stoppage time by redirecting home a cross if front of the goal, and he had the goal of the match in the 66th.

Former San Jose defender Steven Beitashour got past the defense for a through ball in the 26th and poked it inside the far post for a 2-0 lead. Diego Rossi scored a relatively easy goal to cap the scoring in the 68th, and Tyler Miller kept his first clean sheet of the season against San Jose (0-4-0).