Overview
- Santos lost 3-2 to Flamengo at the Maracanã, extending a five-match winless run that keeps the club 17th with a UFMG-projected 59.4% risk of relegation.
- Spain's Diario AS labeled Neymar slow and off the pace, said he hindered teammates and protested his substitution, and suggested his World Cup prospects could suffer, while noting brief flashes such as a dangerous free kick and late header.
- The forward had been out of the starting lineup for nearly two months with a grade-2 right thigh injury and only recently resumed minutes, with match fitness still short of ideal.
- Santos views his reaction as a product of the team's crisis and his physical state, with coach Pedro Vojvoda calling it normal, and the club intends to manage his minutes ahead of the postponed home match against Palmeiras.
- Former coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo criticized Neymar's posture and leadership, and the player received a yellow card for dissent that leaves him at risk of suspension in upcoming games.