Santos suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Corinthians in the Paulista Championship, effectively ending their hopes of securing the title with Neymar out of action.
A key point of discussion following the match was Neymar Jr.’s absence; the Brazilian superstar remained on the bench throughout the game and did not step onto the pitch. His inability to participate proved costly for Santos, as the team struggled with a disjointed performance.
Without their star forward, Santos had difficulty finding their rhythm against a determined Corinthians side. Yuri Alberto opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a precise cross from Memphis Depay.
Santos managed to equalize in the 37th minute with a well-placed header from Tiquinho Soares, following a corner kick taken by Guilherme.
However, the deadlock was broken in the second half when Rodrigo Garro of Corinthians unleashed a stunning shot into the top corner, securing the victory for his team. Late in the match, Santos faced further challenges, as Zé Ivaldo and Gonzalo Escobar both received red cards, leaving Santos with only nine men on the field and sealing their fate.
Neymar’s first month back at Santos FC had been regarded as a success, as he quickly found the net for his youth club, and a return to the national team seemed within reach. However, the Brazilian football star is now facing scrutiny.
Just over a month after returning to his youth club, Neymar is drawing criticism following a Carnival outing in Rio de Janeiro. The fallout from this decision led to his absence during the semi-final of the Campeonato Paulista against Corinthians, where Santos lost 2-1 on Saturday. Coach Pedro Caixinha cited a “thigh issue” as the reason for Neymar’s sidelining.
The media and analysts have criticized Neymar for appearing more focused on personal enjoyment rather than prioritizing his football commitments.
Having returned to Santos at the end of January, Neymar aimed to revitalize his career. Brazil’s national coach, Dorival Junior, has included him in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Colombia on March 21 and Argentina on March 26, following Neymar’s absence from the national team since suffering an ACL injury in October 2023.
