CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy’s signing of Mexican international Jonathan dos Santos sent shock waves among Mexico fans last week.
Considered by many to be the top midfielder in the Mexican national team setup, dos Santos joined the Galaxy on Thursday after spending the entirety of the professional career in Spain with FC Barcelona and C.F. Villarreal. After his signing, dos Santos spoke confidently about his place with Juan Carlos Osorio’s Mexico team and his desire to be a contributor at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia next year.
As dos Santos waits to make his LA Galaxy debut, I caught up with ESPN FC’s Mexico expert Tom Marshall to get the lowdown on Jonathan dos Santos and find out what Galaxy fans can expect from their new midfielder.
LAGI: How important is Jona for the Mexican National Team at present?
TOM MARSHALL: Jonathan started the three most important Mexico games at the Confederations Cup and had started four of El Tri’s six World Cup qualifiers in the Hex. Under a coach in Juan Carlos Osorio who likes to rotate from game to game, Dos Santos has become one of the most-used players of late.
Dos Santos had struggled with Mexico, something which started back ahead of the 2010 World Cup, when he was cruelly cut from the squad late on by Javier Aguirre. Since then, Dos Santos was always talked about in terms of potential, rather than being a finished product. That has completely changed since the last World Cup, and Osorio clearly likes what Dos Santos brings.
LA GALAXY INSIDER:Describe him as a player and how he fits into Juan Carlos Osorio’s plans compared to how he's played at the club level
MARSHALL: Dos Santos is intense, technically very gifted and has a high level of on-field intelligence. The traits drilled into youngsters at Barcelona’s La Masia can be found in Dos Santos’ game.
For Mexico of late, Dos Santos has played in a more advanced role on the right of a midfield trio in a 4-3-3 formation. That’s slightly different to his role at Villarreal, where the 27-year-old predominantly featured as a right midfielder in a 4-4-2 over the last couple of seasons.
To make things even more complicated, Dos Santos has said previously that his preferred position is as a holding midfielder, although it’d be interesting to know if he still feels that way.
LAGI: How did he perform at the Confederations Cup? What made him so successful?
MARSHALL: Dos Santos was one of Mexico’s best players, along with Guillermo Ochoa and Hector Herrera. The midfielder led El Tri’s midfield with his intensity when the team wasn’t in possession and then used the ball intelligently when it was.
LAGI: Is he considered a favorite to be on the plane to Russia next year?
MARSHALL: If Dos Santos is fit and in any kind of form, he’ll be on the plane. No player — perhaps with the exception of Hector Moreno — can be considered an automatic starter under Osorio, but Dos Santos should get minutes. Just how many will depend on whether Osorio prefers a more defensive-minded holding midfielder like Rafa Marquez or Diego Reyes, or opts from the more offensive Hector Herrera, who by dropping back would free up a spot on the right for Dos Santos.
LAGI: Pundits (including myself) have said he could become (or possibly already is) the league's best midfielder. Would you agree with this sentiment?
MARSHALL: It’s a difficult question! That certainly has to be Dos Santos’ challenge and ultimate goal in MLS, and he has the raw materials to achieve it. Time will tell if he can step up from being a functional unit in a well-drilled collective like at Villarreal to being the leader of the Galaxy midfield.
LAGI: How does he compare to the league's top CM: USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley
MARSHALL: Dos Santos is technically better, but Bradley offers an assuredness and leadership that the Mexican hasn’t shown as yet in his career. It’s shaping up to be a nice USA versus Mexico battle within MLS for that top midfield spot.
LAGI: How have people received his move to MLS and can he remain a fixture in the MNT setup?
MARSHALL: Mexico fans are skeptical in general, largely because the move comes at a time when coach Osorio is stressing the need to have more players in top European leagues to increase strength in depth and therefore competition for places. The counter-argument — made most notably by former El Tri forward Luis Garcia — is that Dos Santos set sail to Europe very early, has challenged himself at Barca and then Villarreal and is now entitled to make the move to be with his brother in LA.
In terms of being in the national team setup, Dos Santos won’t have a problem. Italy may have the luxury of not calling up a player with the quality of Giovinco, but Mexico can’t do without Dos Santos.
