Poker player on the pitch: Neymar scores twice and taunts crowd

Brazilian superstar Neymar delivered the perfect response to the heavy criticism he received for participating in a poker tournament—scoring twice for Santos, although his side still had to settle for a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Chapecoense.

After one of his goals, the Brazilian celebrated by mimicking the dealing of playing cards, sending a clear message to those who had questioned his professionalism.

The controversy began earlier this week when Santos traveled to Venezuela for a Copa Sudamericana fixture without their biggest star. Instead of being with the squad, Neymar was photographed competing in a professional poker tournament in Sao Paulo just hours before kickoff.

However, it was later revealed that the decision had not been Neymar's. Santos had deliberately left him out of the trip so he could follow a special recovery program after his demanding campaign at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup.

On the pitch against Chapecoense, Neymar opened the scoring with a superb finish following a clever one-two on the edge of the penalty area. He later converted from the penalty spot to rescue a point for Santos after they had fallen behind.

Despite dominating large portions of the match, Santos failed to turn their superiority into three points and remain in a difficult position in the league standings.

To make matters worse, Neymar picked up a yellow card late in the game. Because of accumulated bookings, Santos' star man will be suspended for the next round and miss the highly anticipated derby against Sao Paulo.

Since officially retiring from international football with Brazil after the World Cup, Neymar has featured in nine Brazilian Serie A matches, recording an impressive tally of six goals and two assists.