Brazil 3, Croatia 1: Neymar powers hosts to controversial win in World Cup opener

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The first half of the World Cup opener foreshadowed drama, but Brazil’s excellence took hold in the second half to undo any promise of a Croatian upset with a 3-1 victory.

Croatia played as well as they could’ve hoped, but besides Brazil's own goal, nothing much else went their way. While Brazil dominated the run of play, the final score is still unfair to Croatia.

The Goals

OWN GOAL! Marcelo (BRA), 11 min. Ivica Olic, who haunted Dani Alves down the left flank in the early going, sent in a low cross that was barely touched by Nikica Jelavic before it ricocheted off of Marcelo’s planted foot and past a hopeless Julio Cesar.

GOAL! Neymar (BRA), 29 min. Oscar won the ball in the midfield, gave it up to Neymar, who made it look like the ball orbited around his feet, as he moved forward, then shot from 20 yards out for the equalizer.

PENALTY GOAL! Neymar (BRA), 71 min. The everything for Brazil went from one side of the shot to the other, staggered his steps and fired to the left side of the net, where Stipe Pletikosa started to dive. Unfortunately, it was too hard for the Croatian keeper to handle. It went past him for the score.

GOAL! Oscar (BRA), 90 min. Oscar won the ball (a definite pattern throughout the match) in midfield after Croatia nearly equalized. With the back four pushing up, he moved quickly past two defenders before letting go a controlled strike aimed at bottom left corner of the net. Pletikosa, whose weight was inexplicable shifted in the opposite direction, couldn’t get across fast enough to stop it.

Man of the Match - Oscar

When he wasn’t winning balls in midfield — or at least leading the charge to win balls back — Oscar was dipping behind the Croatian defense, who kept a high line throughout most of the 90 minutes, to free up space for Neymar. All of Brazil’s attack seemed to go through him or be caused by something he did. Oh, and there was also the small matter of the goal to put the match out of reach.

What did the winning team do to win?

I’d like to say that the most forward four players on Brazil were all rotating interchangeably in the attacking third, but I can only confirm that Neymar, Oscar and Hulk were constantly changing positions. Fred’s whereabouts is still unknown.

The idea for Brazil seemed to be to give the ball to Oscar and Neymar, and let them be Oscar and Neymar — always a sound strategy. Hulk, and sometimes Fred would make runs off their possession, and sometimes get the ball, and sometimes not.

How did the winning team stop the losing team from winning?

In the early going, Olic had a field day on the left flank, moving the ball up and even sneaking in the box when the ball was on the other side of the pitch to receive a cross that just missed. His fun was ruined after the first goal when Thiago Silva replaced Dani Alves in marking him, and Paulinho and Oscar were recruited from time to time to assist. The result: He didn’t mount another serious attack all game.

Croatia executed their tactics well, countering as often as they could, but Luiz Gustavo, and later Hernanes, were especially effective in stopping the counter from entering deep into the Brazilian half.

The Controversies

A 69th minute penalty awarded to Brazil was … uh … questionable. Fred — he’s alive, and on the pitch! — made a meal of the morsel Dejan Lovren gave him in the box, tumbling to the ground to fool the referee into pointing to the spot.

A foul in the 83rd minute called on Olic ruined what would’ve been an equalizer for Croatia. Replay showed that he barely touched keeper Cesar.

The Takeaway

Good luck, Mexico. Seriously, both Brazil and Croatia played very well. Croatia were unlucky to have a penalty called against them in the second half, and otherwise might have escaped this match with a draw, or else even snuck another goal past Cesar.

Croatia's counter attack was very effective, even if it didn't result in the outcome the squad would've hoped.

After one match, it's very difficult to see Brazil and Croatia not emerging out of Group A.

Stray Thoughts

• After Cesar’s emotional response to Brazil’s national anthem, I half expected the keeper to bite off the face of the first Croatian who tried to shake his hand.

• Despite Scolari’s frequent antics on the touch line, it seemed — not surprisingly — that Brazil won the majority of the calls from the official that could’ve gone either way. However, there were two rather suspect throw-ins that Croatia won.

• I'm pretty sure I've never felt as badly as Marcelo looked following the first own goal ever scored by a Brazilian in the World Cup. 

• Luka Modric was exceptional in a box-to-box role. He’d frequently win possession away from the Brazilians — no easy task — and always distribute in a way that would lead to an effective counter.

• Magic spray is awesome.

• It would’ve been nice for Croatia if Darijo Srna could’ve provided a little more in attack. Perhaps it was due to the constant switching of the Brazilian forwards he was charged with marking, but the right fullback stayed back throughout the match.

• The ovation for Neymar when he came off for Ramires was nice, but maybe not as loud as the first Brazilian with two goals in his World Cup debut since Amarildo in 1962 likely deserved.

• Be sure to mind the banana peels.

• Oscar's 90th minute goal made Pletikosa look especially awful. With the defender tracking from right to left, Oscar couldn't have gone to his right, so why on earth was the keeper shifting his weight that way, when Oscar placed his shot?