Neymar’s masterclass in Santos’ 3–0 win away to Juventude was far more than a nostalgic reminder of his early days in Vila Belmiro; it was a season‑defining performance that dragged a giant club away from the relegation cliff and reasserted his status as a difference‑maker on the Brazilian stage. Playing through knee pain, the 33‑year‑old produced a ruthless 17‑minute hat‑trick that transformed a tense, anxious relegation fight into a night of hope and defiance for Santos. survival on the line This was not a dead‑rubber for mid‑table comfort; it was the 37th round of the Brasileirão, with Santos hovering dangerously close to the drop. They kicked off needing points to climb out of the relegation zone, while Juventude were already condemned to Serie B but still capable of turning the night into a nightmare for a fragile visitor. The pressure on Santos was immense. Results elsewhere involving direct rivals like Vitória and Internacional added further tension, with every goal in other s...
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended an angry Cristiano Ronaldo after he kicked a water bottle after being substituted in the shocking 2-0 loss to Georgia.
Ronaldo was seen kicking a water bottle before taking his position on the bench, expressing his emotions following a tough outing.
Ronaldo had been penalized earlier in the game for his outbursts at the referee after colliding with centre-back Luka Lochoshvili, who was obviously pulling the Portugal striker's shirt but managed to avoid a penalty.
Martinez maintained after the game that Ronaldo should have been handed a "clear" penalty, questioning the VAR's consistency before awarding a spot kick to Mikautadze for Georgia's second.
"At times, we were unlucky," Martinez told reporters. "The VAR was inconsistent; if there was a penalty on Antonio Silva, Ronaldo could see it more clearly.
"Georgia had the game of their lives and we didn't match the intensity."
Ronaldo's tumultuous evening didn't finish there; as he exited the pitch, he nearly escaped a weird altercation with a fan.
As Ronaldo proceeded down the tunnel, a fan jumped over the fence and was pushed aside by security before making touch with the 39-year-old, who had previously been targeted by pitch invasions during Portugal's triumph over Turkey in the tournament.
Portugal has been drawn with Slovenia in the competition's last 16, with their match on Monday night being the last to be decided before the quarter-final stage begins.
Ronaldo's tumultuous evening didn't finish there; as he exited the pitch, he nearly escaped a weird altercation with a fan.
As Ronaldo proceeded down the tunnel, a fan jumped over the fence and was pushed aside by security before making touch with the 39-year-old, who had previously been targeted by pitch invasions during Portugal's triumph over Turkey in the tournament.
Portugal has been drawn with Slovenia in the competition's last 16, with their match on Monday night being the last to be decided before the quarter-final stage begins.
Comments
Post a Comment