Giovani Dos Santos has finally hit his stride for the LA Galaxy in 2016, and people are taking notice. Among them is Mexico head coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
Dos Santos’ future with El Tri had been questioned after he failed to make the cut for the team’s last two rounds of World Cup qualifying, last November and more recently in March. But Osorio confirmed in an exclusive interview with FutbolMLS.com this week that Dos Santos, after re-discovering his form, was very much a candidate for his Copa América Centenario squad.
“Giovani is on the 40-man [preliminary roster],” Osorio said. “We were looking for two or three players in each position, and the principal argument is that we see Giovani playing as a media punta behind the No. 9, or as one of the interior mids if we play with three midfielders.”
Dos Santos was last called up to his national team by the previous coach, Ricardo "Tuca" Ferreti, for Mexico’s 2015 CONCACAF Cup win over the United States in October, but was forced to withdraw before the game due to injury. Though he was able to start the remainder of the Galaxy’s games in 2015, he was forced off with a leg injury in LA’s 2016 season opener and missed the next three games.
It didn’t take long for Dos Santos to find his form after returning to the Galaxy lineup against Portland on Apr. 10. Though he didn’t find the scoresheet in that game, he bagged two goals and an assist in a 4-1 road win against the Houston Dynamo. He then followed that up with a one-goal, one-assist performance in his most recent outing, a 5-2 win for the Galaxy over Real Salt Lake.
Osorio confirmed that he had gone to visit Dos Santos in Los Angeles after the injury that kept him out of the early part of 2016. He also spoke positively of the latter's chances to make the final 23-man roster, which will be revealed later in May.
Osorio noted, though, that Dos Santos would be competing against the likes of Carlos “Guillit” Pena, one-time rumored MLS target Marco Fabian, and Orbelin Pineda. Dos Santos is easily the most experienced of that group, however--his 90 caps exactly double the combined total of the other three, a fact not lost on Osorio.
“We believe there are real options for Giovani, aside from his technical ability, he has experience,” said Osorio. “He’s been important for the Mexican national team in important tournaments, and so we believe that with his experience and his ability, he has all the chances to be on the final list."
Osorio also noted that Dos Santos’ time in MLS could be a boon in helping the player get back to his unquestioned status as a national team regular.
“The good part about Giovani is that he plays in a competitive league, that athletically they’re going to push him to the maximum,” Osorio said. “That surely this is going to give him all the possibilities to get back to his level because it’s a demanding league, very athletic, and at a good level.
“We hope it’s like this, and that we can count on Giovani for the upcoming call-ups and for the Copa [America Centenario].”
