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29 March 2024

Fifa World Cup: Neymar inspires Brazil to comeback win over Croatia

Published
By Football Correspondent and Agencies

Brazil's poster boy Neymar scored twice and the outstanding Oscar added a late third as the hosts came from behind to beat Croatia 3-1 in a thrilling World Cup opening match on Thursday.

The Group A game tipped the hosts' way after a controversial 71st-minute penalty awarded when Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura harshly ruled that Croatia skipper Dejan Lovren had hauled down Fred when it clearly looked as though the Brazil striker threw himself to the ground.

After the Croatian players furiously remonstrated with Nishimura, Neymar kept his composure and put Brazil ahead for the first time with a right-foot penalty which Croatia keeper Stipe Pletikosa got a hand to but could not save.

Apart from that misjudgement Nishimura controlled the superbly-balanced game well as both teams went looking for goals and created chances at both ends.

Neymar, under enormous pressure to produce the kind of football that could lead Brazil to their sixth World Cup, did not disappoint with some stunning passes and moves as he held off some rigorous challenges by the stylish Croatians.

He hauled Brazil back into the game after 29 minutes with the equaliser after defender Marcelo put through his own net after 11 minutes to give Croatia a shock lead.

Brazilians clearly wanted one of their team to score the first goal of the finals, but not in the way it came about and Marcelo's misfortune meant he became the first Brazilian ever to score an own goal at the World Cup.

The cross that bamboozled him came from Ivica Olic whose low ball from the left went through the legs of Brazil skipper Thiago Silva, clipped Nikica Jelavic's foot and bounced in off Marcelo with keeper Julio Cesar helpless.

Croatia could have gone ahead even earlier when Olic headed narrowly wide from a pinpoint Ivan Perisic centre.

Neymar created Brazil's first opening when he jinked along the byline, resulting in a half-cleared ball to Oscar who slammed in a curling 25-metre drive that Pletikosa acrobatically pushed away.

But Croatia's reprieve only lasted seven minutes and the equaliser was greeted by scenes of unbridled joy by Brazilian fans and players with fireworks visible on the city skyline through the huge openings on the corners of the stadium.

Oscar, at the core of most of Brazil's attacks, started the move by beating two men in midfield before finding Neymar who advanced a few metres before cracking in a low left-foot shot that went in off the base of Pletikosa's left-hand post for his 32nd goal in his 50th international.

Neymar scored his 33rd with the penalty and although Croatia never stopped battling, Oscar wrapped up the win in the first minute of stoppage time with a low drive.

FULL TIME

Brazil 3 (Neymar 29" 71" Oscar 90+1") Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

90+1" GOAL! Oscar pokes the ball in after a counter attack by Luiz moments after Cesar makes a brilliant save.

Brazil 3 (Neymar 29" 71" Oscar 90+1") Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

88" Neymar gets a thunderous ovation as he leaves the field.

87" YELLOW! Gustavo is the second Brazilian to be booked.

83" Croatia have a goal disallowed after referee Yuichi Nishimura gives a foul for Ivica Olic's challenge on goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

77" Brazil nearly get a third as Luiz goes close with a header after a fine cross by Oscar.

71" PENALTY! Stipe Pletikosa gets a hand to Neymar's penalty - but the ball still finds the corner.

Brazil 2 (Neymar 29" 71") Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

70" Penalty for Brazil as Fred is brought down by two defenders.

47" Oscar's dribbling and passing has already caught the eye. He was responsible for breaking the shackles to find Neymar who scored.

Half-time

Brazil 1 (Neymar 29") Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

45" Hulk balloons wide over from close as another two minutes added before half-time.

42" Neymar to Paulinho who finds Oscar on the left. The Croatian defence looks in shambles but Oscar  instead of putting the ball for Fred or Hulk send a weak shot into gloves of Pletikosa.

39"  Neymar free-kick hits a defender and goes for a corner.

35" Modric makes a timely clearance as Paulinho looked in position to score.

33" Olic makes some good ground running down the left.

Brazil 1 (Neymar 29") Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

29" GOAL! Neymar having just picked up a yellow card makes amends with a superb left footer from 25 yards after Oscar had done the hard work. The shot lacked power but was nicely placed.

25" YELLOW! Neymar is booked for elbowing Modric.

21" Neymar's cross has no takers but the ball comes to Oscar o top of the box and he slams it in. The ball zooms past a host of heads but just as the Brazilians are about to celebrate when Pletikosa brings off a superb save diving to his right.

19" Pletikosa is put to the test by Paulinho with a close-range effort which he does well to parry away.

17" Brazil apply pressure on the Croatian goal earning their third corner but are unable to break the citadel.

14" Oscar crosses into the Croatia box. Fred and Neymar make a desperate bid to reach it. Had one of them made it to the ball there was only Pletikosa to beat in goal,

Brazil 0 Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG 11")

11" GOAL! A freak goal by defender Marcelo has given Croatia the lead although Jelavic can take part credit for getting his foot to a cross from Olic.

6" Early scare for Brazil as Ivica Olic leaps above the defence to head just inches wide as Julio Cesar dives full length.

5" Brazil ear their first free-kick outside the Croatia box when Hulk is brought down but no damage done as David Luiz's hearder is weak.

3" Olic manages to deceive two Brazil players on the left flank but his cross is intercepted by Thiago Silva. 

1" Kovacic has a shot at the Brazil goal, more of a loosener which is way off the target. 

Croatia get the match underway under a din of loud noise.

Doves being released by some youth to officially declare the World Cup open.

The teams are out in the middle for their national anthems. No guesses as to which team will get all the attention and the applause and which anthem will reverberate the stadium.

Kaka, who failed to make the Brazil team, is given a rousing welcome as he walks on the sidelines of the Corinthians arena. Even the Brazil team members come and greet him. A pity he could not fit in Scolari's scheme of things.

A sea of yellow greets the Brazilian players as they venture out into the middle to have a light workout with just less than 30 minutes to go for the opening match of the 2014 World Cup.

The Brazil team is in - and it's entirely as expected. It's the same XI from the last friendly against Serbia. and very much a first-choice team.

Croatia do not pick former Arsenal man Eduardo, so he won't play against his home country. Hull man Nikica Jelavic does start though, as does Real Madrid galactico Luka Modric.

Starting XI

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Paulinho, Luiz Gustavo, Hulk, Oscar, Neymar, Fred.

Subs: Jefferson, Fernandinho, Dante, Maxwell, Henrique, Ramires, Hernanes, Willian, Bernard, Jo, Maicon, Victor.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Kovacic, Olic, Jelavic.

Subs: Zelenika, Pranjic, Vukojevic, Schildenfeld, Brozovic, Rebic, Sammir, Vida, Eduardo, Subasic.

Referee: Yuichi Nishimura (Japan).

PREVIEW

Luiz Felipe Scolari's side start as firm favourites to top Group A against Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon and then go on to win the cup for a sixth time.

The Brazilians have played in every World Cup and only once have they failed to make it past the opening round, in England in 1966.

A repeat on home soil is beyond unthinkable and with players such as Neymar, David Luiz and Thiago Silva in the side they are expecting nothing less than to win the trophy.

They may be rusty in the tournament's opening game against Croatia on Thursday but it would be a seismic shock if they did not go on to win the group.

But Scolari will have warned his side against the dangers of complacency. The penalty for failing to win the group could in all probability mean a meeting with Spain in the second round.

The Croatians have not beaten Brazil in two previous encounters, which included a defeat in the 2006 World Cup.

Croatia's task against Brazil has been made more difficult by the suspension of star forward Mario Mandzukic following the Bayern Munich striker's dismissal for a stamp in the play-off win over Iceland.

NIGHTMARES

The thought of Neymar tearing your team pieces might be enough to give some coach's nightmares, but Croatia's Niko Kovac isn't losing any sleep over the threat posed by the Brazilian phenom ahead of Thursday's World Cup opener.

Neymar is expected to spearhead Brazil's campaign to win the tournament for a sixth time, and his own coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has said he is glad he doesn't have to stay up worrying about how to contain the 22-year-old.

Kovac said he recognised Neymar's ability but dismissed suggestions the threat had left him sleepless in Sao Paulo.

"I've had six months to study their national team ... for us to come up with an answer to Neymar. He's one of the top three players in the world but we know what awaits us," he told a news conference at the Corinthians arena on Wednesday.

"I'm not losing any sleep over it."

Kovac, who took over from the sacked Igor Stimac for Croatia's elimination double-header against Iceland, knows that trying to stifle Brazil's All Star cast for 90 minutes would be a recipe for disaster.

He will be without powerful striker Mario Mandzukic for the opener due to suspension but is still planning to go on the offensive against the hosts, who will be under enormous pressure to get the win or risk turning their often fickle fans against them.

"We will try to keep the ball as long as possible but create chances whenever possible, we are not going to park the bus tomorrow," he said.

"We are going to attack ... because Brazil is so strong that if you want to succeed against them you have to score.

"Of course that is easier said than done."

Kovac was also quick to remind reporters that Brazil would take his side lightly at their peril.

Croatia stunned the world to reach the semi-finals in their first World Cup as an independent nation in 1998 and Kovac, who missed that tournament due to injury, said his players would not be overawed by the Brazilians.

"However much we may be thinking about Brazil, I think Brazil will be thinking about us," he added.

"Personally I think Mr Scolari may be losing sleep when thinking about playing Croatia."
Croatia midfielder Darijo Srna, who could be tasked with shackling Neymar on Thursday, said there were different ways of keeping the Brazilian in check.

"If I can't do anything else I'll lock him in his hotel room," he joked.

12th PLAYER


Brazil's exciting young forward Neymar believes the home fans may be their most important "player" if they get fully behind the team throughout their matches at the World Cup.

"We are expecting a lot from the 12th player, it may be our main player," the 22-year-old told a news conference sitting next to coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"If the fans are 100 percent behind the national team the entire game, it is going to be difficult to beat Brazil," he added ahead of the opening game against Croatia on Thursday.

Quick and skilful, and in many ways the face of this World Cup, Neymar faces intense pressure to lead the widely fancied Brazil team to a record sixth title and its first at home.

He said he was anxious to get started but stressed it was down to the entire team and their fans to win the trophy.

"No one plays alone. Everyone knows his role, everyone knows what he has to do on the pitch," he said, urging Brazil's famously fickle supporters to do their part.

Neymar said he had no interest in being the best player at the finals unless Brazil won the Cup on home soil.

"I don't want to be the best player. I don't want to be the top goalscorer ... Individually whatever has to happen will happen, but what I most want is to be a champion with my team," Neymar told reporters.