Regardless of where Giovani dos Santos is playing, when he states: "I'm in the best moment of my career," the Mexico national team should take notice.
During Sunday's 4-2 home win for the LA Galaxy over Orlando City, Dos Santos took the Man of the Match award with two goals and an assist for LA. The 27-year-old now has a highly impressive tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in just 25 appearances in MLS this season.
Although many Mexico fans scrutinize the quality of play in MLS, one can't help but think what impact Dos Santos would have made for El Tri if he had been involved in the recent 0-0 draw in World Cup qualifying against Honduras. It may be a futile question in a situation like this, but for the sake of interest: What if Dos Santos was given the start instead of Angel Sepulveda? Could many argue that the newcomer from Queretaro is a better option than the Galaxy striker?
Whether it be internal problems with the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), or a reluctance from manager Juan Carlos Osorio, the Mexico national team must give the striker who is brimming with confidence an opportunity. It doesn't matter if he is playing for LA, Mallorca or Villarreal, at his best, he is still one of the most talented Mexican players around.
That said, Dos Santos wasn't the only name who was stealing headlines during the past few days. Let's take a look at some of the recent best and worst performances from noteworthy Mexican players.
Warming Up
Isaac Brizuela, MF, Chivas (Mexico)
Why he's here: Brizuela was once again on fine form for Chivas over the weekend. During Saturday's 2-0 win against Chiapas, the midfielder scored the second and final goal for Los Rojiblancos.
What this means: The 26-year-old is ready to return to the Mexico national team. Brizuela has been on fire in recent weeks with a total of three goals and an assist in his last two matches. If he can maintain this momentum, there is no reason why Osorio shouldn't give him an opportunity to shine for El Tri this year.
Miguel Layun, DF, Porto (Portugal)
Why he's here: Layun was one of Porto's best players during Saturday's 3-0 victory against Vitoria Guimaraes. The 28-year-old helped create the assist for the first goal and later forced an error through a cross that led to an own-goal from Guimaraes defender Joao Aurelio.
What this means: After losing his starting spot at left-back to Alex Telles, Layun has done an excellent job at right-back for the injured Maxi Pereira. The defender has proven to be a versatile option after seamlessly transitioning over to the other side of the backline. Whether it be for club or country, Layun is far too important of a player to leave on the bench.
Alexis Vega, FW, Toluca (Mexico)
Why he's here: The 18-year-old striker was given his fifth start of the season during Toluca's 2-0 away victory against Puebla on Sunday. Vega's assist for the second goal was his third in the 2016 Apertura.
What this means: Although Vega wasn't at his best on Sunday, there's something to be said about the teenage striker who already has three assists for Los Diablos Rojos. There's plenty of raw talent from a youngster who might gain more notoriety for Mexico during next year's CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
Cooling Down
Jose Arturo Rivas, DF, Tigres (Mexico)
Why he's here: Just 11 months ago, Rivas was a backup player that featured for El Tri during the 3-2 CONCACAF Cup victory over the United States. Now, the 31-year-old is a backup defender for Tigres who has yet to gain a single minute this season. On Saturday, he was an unused bench option during Tigres' 2-0 away win against Morelia.
What this means: The funny thing is, the veteran might still be at a respectable spot in Mexico's depth chart. At the moment, there is no guaranteed No. 2 option after Hector Moreno for El Tri as the left-sided center-back. Given a few appearances for Tigres, it would not be a stretch to assume that Osorio could give him a call-up.
Marco Fabian, MF, Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Why he's here: Fabian has yet to gain a single minute in the Bundesliga tournament. During Saturday's 1-0 away loss to Darmstadt, the former Chivas player was once again left on the bench by manager Niko Kovac.
What this means: The 27-year-old is now in a strange soccer purgatory. Fabian's dreams of stardom are now within reach in Germany, but it appears as though Kovac has no intention of giving him minutes. Barring some unexpected injuries, a move back to Mexico now seems inevitable during the winter transfer window.
Francisco Javier Rodriguez, DF, Cruz Azul (Mexico)
Why he's here: Last summer, "Maza" was still a key player in Mexico's national side during the 2015 Gold Cup. This season, the veteran is nowhere to be found. The 34-year-old has yet to make the bench for Cruz Azul in an Apertura match and was left out of the recent roster that was defeated 4-3 by America in the Clasico Joven on Saturday night.
What this means: Rodriguez might as well be retired. Maza is nowhere near La Maquina's first team and is even further away from a tenuous relevance to El Tri. If other Liga MX clubs are unwilling to sign the player, the defender may have to consider following in the footsteps of other former Mexican stars like Omar Bravo and Gerardo Torrado in the NASL.
Guillermo Ochoa, GK, Granada (Spain)
Why he's here: Following a difficult 5-1 loss to Las Palmas in late August, Ochoa and Granada were handed a second consecutive La Liga loss during Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Eibar.
What this means: Considering the club's permeable backline, the goalkeeper will need to be perfect in order to avoid anymore embarrassment this season. Although Ochoa made several important saves, many fans have zeroed in on the mistake that led to Eibar's first goal. Luckily, the 31-year-old will have several more opportunities to redeem himself in Spain this year.