Now Reading: Neymar tells booing Santos fans to stay home after comeback win
-
01
Neymar tells booing Santos fans to stay home after comeback win
Neymar provided two assists as Santos defeated Ecuador’s Macara 2-1 in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 tie at Vila Belmiro. After sections of the home crowd criticised the team,…
The Story in Brief
Neymar provided two assists as Santos defeated Ecuador’s Macara 2-1 in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 tie at Vila Belmiro. After sections of the home crowd criticised the team, the 34-year-old told ESPN that supporters with a negative mindset were “better” off staying home and should encourage players during difficult moments.
Macara took the lead through Franco Posse inside four minutes. Neymar set up Gabriel Barbosa’s equaliser before half-time, then delivered the corner from which Willian Arao scored in the 75th minute. Santos will carry the one-goal advantage into next week’s second leg in Ambato. A draw will take the Brazilian club into the quarter-finals. Neymar has 13 goals and eight assists in his last 24 Santos appearances.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative is that Neymar’s two assists settle the argument, or that booing proves Santos fans are unreasonable. Neither is enough. Supporters can demand more from a club that has endured a difficult period, while players also need backing during a match they can still win. The useful measure is the second leg: can Santos protect its 2-1 lead in Ambato, or will Macara overturn it?
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, hindustantimes.com, telanganatoday.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
