LAFC loan Vassell to Phoenix Rising; Zelaya and Jakovic to Las Vegas Lights FC

Los Angeles Football Club announced Thursday that it loaned out three players to the USL Championship: Peter-Lee Vassell to Phoenix Rising FC as well as both Dejan Jakovic and Rodolfo Zelaya to Las Vegas Lights FC.

After being drafted No. 40 overall as LAFC’s first pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft, Vassell has made six appearances including two starts in the Black & Gold. He also represented Jamaica at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup with two appearances.

Zelaya signed a two-year deal with the club in January. In four regular season appearances including one start for LAFC, he has scored one goal.

Jakovic has appeared in three games, including two starts with LAFC this season. He joins Las Vegas for the second time this season after starting all three games he played in for the USL Championship club back in June.

The trio will go out for game time and to look to stay match fit ahead of the homestretch. One player, Tristan Blackmon, leveraged loan time away to eventually get playing time with LAFC this year, after featuring for Phoenix Rising last season and in the opening weeks this year.

As the season has progressed, Blackmon has more and more become a legitimate option to be the third center back option behind Walker Zimmerman and Eddie Segura. Sending Jakovic back out on loan could mean that Blackmon has secured that third center back spot.

With ten games remaining in the regular season, LAFC retains the right to recall all three players anytime during the rest of the regular MLS season.

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