Giovani dos Santos has a new team, but his first competitive appearance came against familiar opposition.
The former LA Galaxy man signed recently with Club América, and he made his debut on Wednesday for Las Aguilas in their Leagues Cup debut against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Stadium. Dos Santos entered the match in the 57th minute, and he helped set up his team's go-ahead goal in the 73rd minute, as he was involved in the buildup, scored by Nicolas Benedetti.
After the Dynamo tied the game in the 85th minute, the match went to penalties at the end of regulation, and -- who else? -- dos Santos hit the clinching penalty to send América through 6-5 in the shootout.
It's the culmination of a family cycle. Dos Santos' father, midfielder Zizinho, moved from his native Brazil to play in Mexico in the 1980s, playing for Club América in three separate stints during his career. Giovani's oldest brother Eder also played in the Liga MX club's reserve ranks in his playing days.
Dos Santos played for the Galaxy from 2015-18, scoring 26 goals and 22 assists in 77 MLS regular season appearances. His best season was in 2016, when he notched 14 goals and 12 assists in 28 games.
