| GOL México anota el primer gol del partido por conducto de Oribe Peralta y gran pase de 'Gio' https://t.co/2EgY2861Ve
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) October 12, 2016
CARSON, Calif. – Giovani dos Santos joined the Mexican national team eager to solidify his place on the squad, and after two appearances, it seems he’s done just that.
Dos Santos scored a goal and notched an assist in two matches with El Tri over the past week, impressing head coach Juan Carlos Osorio with each performance. On Tuesday, Dos Santos again started and served as captain for Mexico in their 1-0 victory over Panama at Toyota Park.
Picking right where he left off against New Zealand, Dos Santos shined in the win against Panama, repeatedly sparking Mexico’s attacks which led to considerable praise from Osorio.
"One of the positions where we consider it tough to find players is one who plays behind the No. 9. We think that in Giovani and in Marco Fabian we've found two great possibilities," Osorio said. "We wanted to see Giovani playing in this position of false winger to get into our offensive third, our final third and give us numerical superiority. It was very difficult to do that because of the number of players that the opponent had in this middle third, but we take away very good conclusions.”
Given Dos Santos’ productive week with El Tri, the LA Galaxy striker seems to be a safe bet to be included on Mexico’s roster for their crucial Nov. 11 World Cup qualifier against the United States. And according to Osorio, having Dos Santos back in the Mexico fold is good for his entire squad.
"It was very important to spend time with Giovani and to understand that he is a professional who is consolidated and committed to the day-to-day with training -- the extra push to go back and win the ball. We all know about his technical ability," Osorio said after the game on Tuesday. "We think it is for the good of Mexican football that Giovani is once again considered and committed to the national team."
