Neymar was all the time going to dominate the headlines the second he stepped onto the pitch at Vila Belmiro, however on this decisive evening for Santos, the script twisted in ways in which raised as many questions because it answered. His crew wanted a hero because it fights to flee the underside of the Brazilian Championship desk, and their No. 10 obliged early on. But the story — a objective, a celebration, and one thing unstated — carried a thriller that lingered lengthy after the ultimate whistle. So, what occurred to Neymar, and is he injured?
Santos, locked in a tense relegation battle, couldn’t afford hesitation. And from the fourth minute, Neymar pushed the crew ahead with the urgency of a participant rediscovering his spark. As a number of retailers reported, the transfer started with Mirassol profitable consecutive corners, just for Lautaro Diaz to launch a superb counter. Neymar, timing his run by stepping briefly into his personal half, broke free.
He had not scored for 107 days, however there was no signal of doubt. He surged by, watched a defender slip, and completed calmly previous goalkeeper Walter to make it 1-0 — his fourth objective of the Brazilian Serie A season, his first since August, and his seventh objective in 25 video games since getting back from Al-Hilal in January.
The response was fast. As soon as the ball hit the web, the 33-year-old veteran handled Vila Belmiro to a sequence of joyful dance steps. Later, he defined why the celebration mattered a lot. “The dance was for my daughter, Mavie,” he mentioned after the sport.
Santos, energized by the early lead, pushed once more earlier than halftime. Neymar had one other likelihood after a slick transfer from Igor Vinícius, however this time the shot lacked precision. Mirassol, in the meantime, refused to fold.
The turning level — and the hidden twist
Neymar, after opening the scoring, started signaling discomfort within the left knee — a element confirmed later by Mundo Deportivo. The ahead remained on the pitch, typically limping, typically stretching, but refusing to go away.
Earlier than the problem escalated, he was once more on the middle of the match’s defining second. Early within the second half, with Mirassol urgent, Neymar dedicated a foul within the field that VAR rapidly reviewed. The choice stood. Reinaldo stepped up and transformed for 1-1, his twelfth objective of the season.
Neymar Junior of Santos reacts
Thus, Neymar each scored and completed the match, fighting bodily discomfort, particularly within the left knee — however he did not depart the sport, persevering with till the ultimate whistle. Nevertheless, he wasn’t subbed off, however he was visibly damage.
