During the past few days, we’ve been covering the tough times lived by Chelsea’s Willian, who had lost his starting place in the national team and was understandably worried due to his mother’s health issues.
The player had another chance for Brazil last night, as Neymar was suspended and left a spot in the team. Willian replaced him and did well, scoring a goal in the 2-0 away win against Venezuela.
The 28-year-old talked to reporters after the game and was short about his issues: “I’m very happy for the goal. I had scored against Venezuela in Fortaleza and now I had the happiness to score here. This goal goes to my mother, who’s in hospital. To my wife, to my daughters. To all the relatives who support me,” (via SporTV).
According to reports from Brazil, Willian’s mother Zezé has been fighting against cancer for over two years. She’s had surgery several times and goes through regular chemotherapy sessions. She’s currently in hospital as her situation deteriorated recently.
After yesterday’s win, Brazil are now on top of the South American World Cup Qualifiers’ table. Their next game is against longtime rivals Argentina, and Willian is set to fight for a place against Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
