Paulo Henrique Ganso expressed his disappointment at missing Brazil's World Cup squad after scoring both goals in Sao Paulo's 2-0 victory over Flamengo.
"We have been playing well for a while but people only see that against opponents like Corinthians and Flamengo," Xinhua quoted Ganso as saying after the match Sunday.
The 24-year-old netted either side of halftime at the Maracana stadium as Sao Paulo rose to seventh in Brazil's Serie A standings.
"I feel like I could have been in the national team but I have to get over it in the same way that I've overcome other setbacks."
Ganso has not played for Brazil's national team since the 2012 London Olympics.
The former Santos prodigy showed Sunday why he was once rated among Brazil's most promising talents before being hit by injury.
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Having started a probing run from his own half, Ganso needed just one touch before netting with a low finish following Oswaldo's delicate through ball.
He then doubled the visitors' lead by tapping in from close range after his initial shot was blocked by goalkeeper Felipe.
"I was able to get into the area and score. We made some mistakes but managed to correct them during the match and get an important victory."