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Watch Giovani Dos Santos score in his long-awaited Mexico return

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:35 p.m. ET

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After 450 days away from El Tri, Giovani dos Santos is officially back.

In his return to the Mexican national team on Saturday, the L.A. Galaxy talisman scored in the 29th minute against New Zealand:

The penalty kick was awarded when Hirving Lozano was fouled in the box. Dos Santos was asked to step up to the spot and finish a penalty kick, which he did with ease. Mexico beat New Zealand, 2-1.

To think, it wasn’t that long ago when it seemed like dos Santos' relationship with El Tri was fractured beyond repair. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio told reporters that dos Santos declined a call-up to the Mexican team for Copa America this summer, something dos Santos has never discussed openly.

But sometime afterward, dos Santos made it clear he was hoping to return to the fold. Now, he is not only back with the team, but starting, playing well and scoring goals.

"It's a joy to be back with the national team," he said on Friday ahead of the match. "I was really hoping for this moment. Now with the coach's and teammates' trust I will try to do as well as possible. I was very well received."

Mexico will face the USA on Nov. 11 to open the Hex, the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifying. It's unclear if dos Santos is on Osorio's radar for the qualifying games — the manager didn't call up players like Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez for Mexico's friendlies, making it clear his line-ups will include experimentation. But dos Santos didn't hurt his cause on Saturday, with his ball in setting up Marco Fabian's go-ahead goal.

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