VIDEO: Neymar Ends Scoreless Drought with Golaço vs. Oeste

Rarely is Neymar booed at his home ground, but after six matches without a goal (four for Santos and two for Brazil) an exasperated Vila Belmiro vented its frustration as he strode off the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Mogi Mirim on March 28.

Having failed to find the back of the net since the second week of February, Neymar came into Santos’ Paulista match away to Oeste on Easter Sunday in the midst of the worst scoring slump of his career, so you could understand his relief when, in the 66th minute, he finally put the ball into the back of the net.

And how.

After darting into space as Montillo made an exceptional run down the flank, Neymar took only a moment to square himself to goal upon receiving the ball before lashing it inside the top, right-hand corner of the net. Upon scoring he ran to celebrate with the traveling Santos fans and then struck a lightning post in tribute to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

“It was a tribute to Bolt,” he told Brazilian outlet Globoesporte. I am a card-carrying fan of his. I hope one day I can meet him.

Earlier in the week Bolt, who was in Rio de Janeiro for a promotional event, had expressed his own admiration for Neymar, saying, “I like football, and a player I would really like to meet is Neymar.

With his barren spell now at an end Neymar has managed seven goals in 11 Paulista matches, and Santos are assured of a quarterfinal berth as they look to claim a fourth consecutive state championship.

Following the match Santos manager Muricy Ramalho praised his star forward, telling Globoesporte, “Neymar helped us. He made the goal; he fought; he created our best opportunities.”

He added, “Six games without scoring isn’t normal, but it happens. [Neymar] is still young and is learning things. He has to deal with these bad times.”

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