SAO PAULO: Jeering International Limeira fans provoked Neymar to score the first “olimpico” of his career, the Brazil veteran revealed after guiding Santos to a 3-0 win in the Paulista Championship at the weekend.

Neymar netted directly from a corner in the 27th minute, bending in a right-footed shot which struck the far post and ended up in the goal. The 33-year-old also provided two assists for Tiquinho Soares score a first-half double.

Neymar said: “They teased me and I said, now I’m the one who’s going to score the goal.”

Scoring a goal direct from a corner was legalised by the law-making International Football Association Board in 1924. Months later what is believed to be the first such goal was scored by Cesareo Onzari of Argentina in a friendly against Uruguay. 

Home fans also taunted Neymar in the ninth minute when he walked up to take a corner, and the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward responded by signalling for them to sing louder before setting up Soares to score.

Neymar, who left Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last month to return to his boyhood club, said last week that Santos were helping him “to rediscover soccer, rediscover joy”.

Santos play Bragantino in the Paulista Championship quarter-finals next weekend.

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