Everyone in Brazil was focused on this match after his return to the national team following a year and a half of absence. However, Neymar Jr. couldn't help Santos beat Corinthians (2-1) in the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista due to some minor discomfort. This is a situation that Neymar himself has lamented on his social media.

Neymar's message to Santos fans

In the previous match against Red Bull Bragantino, after scoring the first goal in the ninth minute with a sensational free kick, Neymar had to be substituted in the 76th minute due to discomfort in the back of his left leg. Despite being on the bench at the Neo Química Arena, these pains prevented him from playing even a single minute.

“The only thing I wanted was to be on the field today and help my teammates in any way… But last Thursday, I felt discomfort, and that prevented me from being on the field today. It didn’t go as we wanted today, but we will come back stronger to fight for our goals,” said Neymar, aware that it was Santos' most important match since his return.

Criticism over Neymar's absence

After spending time in Sao Paulo during the carnival before the match against Corinthians, many Santos fans are upset thinking that Neymar "pulled out" of the game to be in better shape for upcoming national team commitments. However, Pedro Caixinha (head coach of Santos) didn’t hesitate to defend Neymar.

“Our commitment is to do everything within our reach to prevent Neymar from getting injured. And some discomfort is not an injury. He wasn't in condition to give his best. Now, we're not going to create an issue where none exists,” said the Santos coach after the loss to Corinthians. Now, Neymar has 10 days to recover before playing with Brazil.