Neymar ensures World Cup hosts Brazil start with win over Croatia

Brazil 3 Croatia 1

World Cup 2014

Brazil	Junior Neymar 29, Junior Neymar 71 Pen, Emboaba Oscar 90 +0:29
Croatia	Junior Marcelo 11 o.g.

Brazil's Neymar, bottom, celebrates his equaliser against Croatia in the 2014 World Cup's opening game. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/AFP/Getty Images

So far, so Brazil. On a fretful, at times sleepy, but ultimately rousing night, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team came from behind in the opening match of Brazil 2014 to beat a well-grooved Croatia 3-1 with the help of a soft penalty and some helpful goalkeeping. In doing so they confirmed what had already seemed clear. The tournament hosts are a resilient, well-drilled team: with added Neymar.
The World Cup’s 22-year-old poster boy not only scored twice, he also confirmed his status as a worthy star of this tournament. Brazil has been enjoying a committed case of Neymar fever for at least the last year. Get ready for a double dose.

Brazil and Croatia remind us what the World Cup is all about

It was a night of tension but the opening game managed to live up to expectations – and the tournament was able to clear its first hurdle

The World Cup – and Group A – kicked off in style at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo on Thursday. Photograph: Francois Xavier Marit/AFP/Getty Images

The moment this World Cup achieved lift off was not before kick-off, when the Brazilian national anthem was sung a cappella with such passion it appeared victory was preordained. Nor was it in the stunned silence that greeted Marcelo’s own goal that gave Croatia a shock lead. Nor was it even when Neymar narrowly converted the soft penalty that put them ahead for the first time and will surely spark the debate over the standard of international refereeing.