Rollheiser scored both Santos goals but the team could only draw 2-2 with Bahia on Saturday, April 25, a result that left Santos in 15th place with 14 points and without Neymar in the squad. The match kicked off at 18:30 Brasília time at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.
The game swung twice. Bahia opened with two first-half goals, Santos fought back through Rollheiser to level the score, and Willian José struck in the 37th minute of the second half to secure a point for the hosts. After the match Willian José said, "Pelo que fizemos no primeiro tempo, um ponto é valioso. Parecia que estava perdido e no final ganhamos um ponto, o que é importante para a nossa batalha." He added: "É claro que a torcida fica chateada; a gente vem de duas derrotas, a última muito dura, mas é levantar a cabeça e continuar trabalhando para dar a volta por cima."
For santos fc the result came amid a cramped calendar and a string of absences. Neymar did not travel with the delegation to Salvador and was rested by the technical staff — a decision made by coach Cuca — to improve his physical condition ahead of Santos' next international commitment against San Lorenzo in the Copa Sul-Americana. The club said it had a specific plan to preserve its main player during the tight schedule and avoid excessive fatigue and possible physical problems.
Cuca's move followed a run in which Neymar had played 90 minutes in each of Santos' previous four matches. In the most recent outing before Bahia, Neymar featured in the Copa do Brasil game against Coritiba, where he did not score but registered six shots and created three scoring chances.
The margin for error for Santos is slim. The club entered the match in 15th place with 13 points, one point above the relegation zone, and emerged with 14 points after the draw. Compounding the pressure, Gabigol and Igor Vinícius were suspended for the trip to Salvador and Gustavo Henrique, Gabriel Menino and Rony were unavailable for medical reasons — absences that left the team light on options when Neymar was left at home.
Rollheiser, who came off the bench to score both Santos goals, underlined that the gap between a win and a draw was small. "Foi um bom jogo. Deixamos escapar a vitória por um detalhe. Sabemos que era uma grande equipe, eles jogaram diante de sua torcida. Temos que melhorar, pequenos detalhes para não cometer os mesmos erros nas próximas partidas," he said. He also reflected on his own role: "Estou contente por somar alguns minutos e por conseguir ajudar a equipe. Tenho que estar sempre preparado para ser acionado pela comissão técnica e continuar ajudando a equipe."
The draw also highlighted how the club's attempt to safeguard Neymar for continental competition collides with an urgent domestic reality: Santos' precarious league position and a thin roster. Resting Neymar is aimed squarely at the Copa Sul-Americana tie with San Lorenzo, but it left the coach dependent on reserve options against a Bahia side that fought back from a two-goal deficit.
Bahia, boosted by the late equalizer from Willian José, momentarily climbed to 21 points and into the G-4 after the game. For Santos the immediate arithmetic is less flattering: the team remains in 15th and still needs points to climb clear of the relegation fight, even if the club believes short-term preservation of Neymar will pay dividends in the international fixture.
What happens next is straightforward and consequential. Santos has prioritized Neymar's fitness for the Copa Sul-Americana match against San Lorenzo; Cuca rested him after a sequence of four full 90-minute games. The gamble now is whether players like Rollheiser can turn sporadic contributions into steady results while suspended and injured teammates return. The club protected its marquee player — now it must prove that protection does not cost it the domestic stability it lacks.
