It didn’t take long for Mexico striker Carlos Vela dust off his scoring boots during El Tri’s friendly against the Netherlands in the Amsterdam Arena tonight. After a three-year self-imposed absence from the national team, it took Vela only eight minutes to blaze a shot past Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul and give Mexico an early one-goal lead in Holland.

Later, the Real Sociedad striker would put a second shot past Holland’s defense in the 62nd minute to give Mexico a 2-1 lead.

The threat that Vela provided in the Mexican attack was evident from the opening minutes of the match and he continued to haunt the Dutch defense until his substitution in the 76th minute (Mexico would win the match, 3-2). His display tonight was something that most El Tri supporters have been waiting for since the 24-year-old striker last suited up for Mexico during a friendly against Venezuela in March 2011.

Vela was suspended from the national team for his involvement in a party following Mexico’s friendly against Colombia in September 2010. Speculation is the striker felt singled out by officials and was humiliated by the Mexican Federation’s public handling of the events that took place. Vela and teammate Efrain Juarez were handed suspensions while other members of El Tri were fined.

After playing in a couple of friendlies, Vela subsequently refused numerous call-ups to the national team, most recently before this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Following his tremendous display tonight in Amsterdam, Mexican fans can’t help but think where their country’s World Cup campaign would have ended up this summer, if Vela were part of the national team. Can those supporters forgive him for leaving El Tri without one of the world’s best scoring threats at such an important moment in history? Chances to win the World Cup only come around once every four years. Surely the striker could have put aside his differences with certain individuals and attempt to do something historical for his country?

Without him, Mexico were knocked out of the tournament in the Round of 16. Some debatable refereeing decisions, a late-equalizer by Wesley Sneijder and a controversial penalty awarded to Arjen Robben gave the Netherlands a 2-1 victory over Miguel Herrera’s side. That match was largely dominated by the Mexicans and it leaves many to think how many goals El Tri would have scored with a healthy, happy Carlos Vela in the mix.

The golden boy of the 2005 Under-17 World Championships has become the villain in some fans’ eyes. The reasons behind his refusal to join up with his Mexican teammates have never been made clear.

The officials responsible for his ban were fired or left their positions with the national side and four different managers tried to convince Vela to rejoin the squad. But the striker kept refusing the call-ups. What he did offer to fans, only made him more of an outsider.

“Fans in Mexico do not respect me and they just want to see the wrong side of the story, or say that I am a traitor, but it’s not true. What matters are my beliefs and I think I did the right thing,” Vela said in February 2014. “Where there are situations that I do not like, I prefer not to participate. I wish them luck [in the World Cup] but I will not be there.”

Hugo “Pentapichichi” Sanchez, the best Mexican player ever, came out in his defense, daring to compare him to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The footballing great asked fans for patience and begged the Mexican federation to do everything in order to convince Vela to play. But the striker only made things worse with later comments.

“I enjoy playing football, but when a match ends I want to talk about anything but football. I don’t enjoy it,” Vela was quoted as saying.

Through his comments and refusal to join El Tri, the 24-year-old wasn’t endearing himself to Mexican fans.

But whatever happened, has happened. The bottom line is Vela suited up for El Tri tonight and gave them a glimpse of what may be to come in 2018.

Perhaps ESPN analyst and match commentator Alejandro Moreno summed it up best during ESPN2’s broadcast of tonight’s friendly against Holland when he said: “I’m choosing to focus on the fact that Carlos is part of the team now. I’m not dwelling on the past.”

Carlos Vela has the support of one Mexican fan. Hopefully more supporters of El Tri are following suit. I know I am.