James Rodríguez finally stayed at São Paulo, and his return to the field was quite impactful. A goal, involvement in another goal, and smiles in front of the fans marked his performance in the 3-0 away victory against Inter de Limeira in a postponed match of the Paulista Championship.
The Colombian started on the bench and came on in the 70th minute, replacing Lucas Moura. Wearing the unusual number 55 on his shirt, he completed 14 successful passes out of 17, including one to Luciano, who scored the second goal for Thiago Carpini’s team from outside the box.
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In stoppage time, he found himself unmarked in the six-yard box after a mid-height assist from a teammate. With a clear view of the goal and no goalkeeper in sight, he scored with a header. In his celebration, he took off his shirt and displayed the back with his name to the traveling fans at the Mané Garrincha stadium in Brasilia.
“We are on the right path. Today was a good victory, and I hope we continue on the same path. It was a good night; I’m glad to have helped. The team played a very good game, and I was happy for the victory and also for our performance,” said the former Real Madrid midfielder to São Paulo’s official social media account.
The São Paulo vs. Palmeiras match is up next
After confirming his stay at the club, the Colombian was able to be registered in the Paulista Championship in place of Luiz Gustavo, who was sidelined from the competition due to an Achilles tendon injury that will keep him out for four to six weeks.
His return to the field comes at an important moment as São Paulo will face Palmeiras in the classic match next Sunday.
