Santos manager Cuca defended his decision to deploy Neymar and a full-strength starting lineup during a scoreless 0–0 draw against Palmeiras at Vila Belmiro, a result that sealed the club’s elimination in the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil. Facing a 3–0 deficit from the opening leg, the manager elected to take significant physical risks in pursuit of a comeback before a packed stadium crowd on Wednesday.
The tactical gamble came at a heavy cost. Neymar exited the match just before halftime due to pain in the right rectus femoris quadriceps, while Barreal limped off in the 28th minute with discomfort in his left posterior thigh, and Lucas Veríssimo departed at the interval with an ankle injury. According to post-match comments reported by Gazeta Esportiva, Cuca explained that he had little choice given the expectations surrounding the fixture.
“When I preserved Neymar, the world falls on our backs because we are giving up on the competition,” Cuca said, referencing external criticism from earlier in the tournament. “Then we played a good game Sunday against Corinthians, we won. How am I going to go today, in a return leg, all tickets sold, a very big motivation from every fan?”
The manager pushed back against hypothetical criticism regarding squad rotation, noting that supporters and analysts would have equally faulted him for an elimination had he rested key players. “Are these risks you have to run? If I had taken the injured players out and not put them to play, you would be charging me for the disqualification. Why? Because these are risks you have to run. Unfortunately, we lost the players, because playing Sunday and Wednesday at an intensity like we played is very difficult.”
Medical Evaluations and Preparing Without Neymar
Santos medical staff have yet to establish a precise diagnosis for the trio of injuries sustained during Wednesday’s intense clash. Cuca confirmed that Veríssimo will undergo an evaluation on his ankle, while the physical issues affecting Neymar and Barreal are believed to be muscular problems requiring formal clinical scans.
With the squad facing a swift turnaround, Cuca acknowledged the immediate sporting reality confronting the club ahead of their upcoming fixture against Internacional. The manager indicated that the team must prepare mentally and tactically to play without Neymar.
“Reality, right? It’s not even a situation that we want. It’s the reality,” Cuca said regarding Neymar’s expected absence. “He’s out, probably, I don’t know the next game, and we’re going to have to manage without him. Just like we managed when he was at the Copa. We played good games. We’re going to work on top of that one more time.”
Tactical Breakdown and Missed Chances
Despite the scoreless outcome that advanced Palmeiras, Cuca offered a generally positive assessment of his side’s performance during the first 45 minutes. The manager highlighted Santos’ control of possession and effective defensive pressing in the opponent’s half, while conceding that a lack of final-third precision ultimately proved decisive.
“Our first half was precious. We lacked a little bit of contundency in the attack, a little more entering the area for crosses, more people shooting on goal, but it was dominance, ball possession, control, ball recovery in the attack. Something is missing, but we were better,” Cuca analyzed.
The manager added that an early breakthrough could have fundamentally altered the emotional and psychological momentum of the knockout tie. He also credited Palmeiras for executing a congested defensive block that limited open spaces through the center of the pitch.
“The middle gets funneled. In the middle, there are seven, eight players and the sides have two,” Cuca explained. “So there’s always going to be one side of the field left for you to play, a midfielder won’t be left free to play. Palmeiras even marks individually, it’s very difficult to have space.”
Santos returns to competitive action as the squad shifts focus away from the Copa do Brasil and prepares for their upcoming fixture against Internacional.
