Carlos Vela and Laurent Ciman have been on the field for every minute of the Los Angeles Football Club's first 11 games this season. But Saturday, when LAFC hosts D.C. United at Banc of California Stadium, both will play their final minutes in black and gold for quite some time.
After the game Vela, a forward, will leave to join the Mexican national team in Beverly Hills and Ciman, a defender, will fly off to join the Belgian team as both countries begin preparations for next month's World Cup. LAFC has already lost forward Marco Urena (Costa Rica) and defender Omar Gaber (Egypt) to World Cup duty while defender Walker Zimmerman is away with the U.