Santos are in a very delicate situation in the Brazilian Serie A. With only four matches left in the season, they are at serious risk of relegation and must earn good results to avoid it. In that context, Neymar was involved in an error that proved costly for his team.
This Wednesday, Santos played their Matchday 34 fixture of the league against Mirassol. There, Ney scored the opener in the 4th minute of the first half, taking advantage of a long pass and finishing with class despite the rival goalkeeper’s effort.
It was the forward’s first goal in the last 107 days, and it seemed to signal a positive night for him. But things took an unexpected turn when, in the 58th minute, Neymar committed a foul inside Santos’ box and referee Matheus Delgado Candancan awarded a penalty. Reinaldo stepped up to take it and scored the 1–1 that ended up being the final result.
“We faced one of the best teams in the championship… We gave everything to try to win and I think we deserved it a lot,” Ney began in a story posted on his official Instagram account after the match. “Congratulations to the team and to the fans who once again made this a beautiful party! We stay together in this final stage, every point, every detail will be important!”
Then, the 33-year-old forward spoke specifically about the play that led to Mirassol’s goal. “Sorry for the penalty… There are so many different criteria that I don’t even know what to say, just accept!” Neymar wrote. “THE FIGHT DOESN’T STOP, LET’S GO SANTOS!!”
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How are Santos doing in the Brazilian league?
With four matches left in the season, Santos know they can’t relax. They are currently outside the relegation zone with 34 points, just one more than Vitoria, who are in dangerous territory.
In the games ahead, Neymar and his teammates must face two direct rivals in the battle to remain in the first division of Brazil. The first will be on Monday against Sport Club Internacional. Then they will play Sport Recife—already condemned to relegation—before another decisive match against Juventude. On the final matchday they will face Cruzeiro, one of the best teams in the league.
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Neymar’s future
Santos enter this decisive stage of the year still without clarity regarding the future of their biggest star. Neymar’s contract expires on December 31 and there are still no advanced negotiations to finalize an extension, which has fueled endless speculation.
A few weeks ago, Santos president Marcelo Teixeira expressed optimism about the forward staying. “The tendency is for Neymar to stay,” he said. However, he assured that talks for a contract renewal would not take place until the team secures its place in the first division. “Santos is focused on the competition. Every match is a final.”
