Neymar was brought to tears after Santos suffered a devastating 6-0 loss to Vasco da Gama, the worst defeat of his career. The loss also resulted in the dismissal of Santos’ head coach and leaves Santos precariously close to the relegation zone.
Neymar Jr faced one of the toughest moments in his career on Sunday as Santos suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian Serie A. The heavy loss not only brought the 33-year-old forward to tears at full-time but also led to the dismissal of head coach Cléber Xavier.
Having returned to Santos earlier this year, Neymar was visibly upset on the pitch after the final whistle, needing comfort from the coaching staff. Reflecting on the performance, he said, “I’m ashamed. I’m totally disappointed with how we played. The fans have every right to express their frustration, of course without resorting to violence. But if they want to curse or insult, that’s their right.”
“I’ve Never Felt This Way Before”
He went on to describe the emotional turmoil, saying, “It’s a feeling of extreme shame. I’ve never been through something like this in my life. The tears were born out of anger and everything else. Unfortunately, I can’t help in every way. The reality is, we were absolutely terrible.”
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The match, the heaviest defeat Neymar has experienced, was a crucial battle between teams fighting to avoid relegation. Vasco jumped ahead early when Lucas Piton scored, and Philippe Coutinho, Neymar’s teammate in the Brazil national team, added two more goals in the second half. Additional strikes from David Correa De Fonseca, Rayan, and Danilo Neves completed the thrashing.
Vasco Soar as Santos Sink Deeper
Vasco’s victory lifted them out of the relegation zone, while Santos slid dangerously closer, stuck at 21 points and in 15th position. Adding to Neymar’s disappointment, he picked up his third yellow card of the season, which means he will miss Santos’s next game against Bahia.