In a social media post, Neymar explained why he played no part in the semi-final match against Corinthians.
Santos suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Corinthians in the Paulista Championship, ending their hopes of securing the title. A major talking point of the match was Neymar Jr.’s absence from the action as the Brazilian superstar remained on the bench throughout the game but never stepped onto the pitch. Neymar’s inability to participate in the match proved costly for Santos as they were left to rue a disjointed performance.
Without their talismanic forward, Santos struggled to find their rhythm against a determined Corinthians side. Yuri Alberto netted an early goal in the 11th minute for Corinthians after he capitalized on a precise cross from Memphis Depay. Santos managed to level the score in the 37th minute, thanks to a well-placed header by Tiquinho Soares from a Guilherme corner kick.
However, the deadlock was broken in the second half when Corinthians’ Rodrigo Garro unleashed a stunning shot into the top corner, securing the victory for his team. Late in the match, Santos found themselves two players down when Zé Ivaldo and Gonzalo Escobar received red cards, reducing Santos to nine men and effectively sealing their fate.
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In a social media post, Neymar explained why he played no part in the match. Neymar said, “All I wanted was to be on the field today and help my team-mates in some way… but last Thursday I felt some discomfort and couldn’t be on the field today, we took a test this morning and I ended up feeling it again! Unfortunately, this is part of football… we will be back even stronger to fight for our goals!”
During the post-match press conference, Santos’ head coach Pedro Caixinha further elaborated on the decision to rest Brazil’s all-time leading goal-scorer. He emphasized that Neymar’s health and long-term fitness were prioritized by the team. Caixinha said, “Neymar presented discomfort and we decided he shouldn’t contribute to the game. We promised to do everything to prevent Neymar from getting injured.”
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