WORLD CUP: Brazil open winning account through Neymar
a 3-1 victory over Croatia courtesy of two
goals from Neymar and a late third from
Oscar.
Neymar, the golden boy of Brazilian football,
put his side ahead in contentious
circumstances in the 71st minute after
Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura ruled that
Fred’s tumble to the floor following the
slightest contact from Croatia defender Dejan
Lovren warranted a penalty.
Neymar had earlier equalised with a low long-
range strike which crept beyond Stipe
Pletikosa’s dive after Niko Kovac’s side had
threatened to spoil the party by taking a
deserved lead in the 11th minute through
Marcelo’s own goal, with Oscar completing
the scoring in the Group A opener in added
time.
There was frenetic start in Sao Paulo with
Mateo Kovacic firing the first shot in anger
wide of Julio Cesar’s goal with 44 seconds on
the clock, before Ivica Olic – with a warning of
what was to come – got away down the left
and swung in a dangerous cross which David
Luiz dealt with superbly.
Croatia had clearly not read the script and Olic
should have opened the scoring in the seventh
minute when he was found behind Dani Alves
by Ivan Perisic’s excellent ball in from the
right but could only guide his header wide.
And in the 11th minute a nation was silenced
as another superb run and cross from Olic
down the left saw Nikica Jelavic get to the ball
ahead of David Luiz and, although he failed to
get a clean contact, the unfortunate Marcelo
could only turn it into his own net.
Brazil responded and a cross from the lively
Oscar only narrowly evaded both Fred and
Neymar, before the Chelsea man fed Paulinho
and he stung Pletikosa’s palms with a rising
drive from inside the box.
The Croatia goalkeeper was in action again
soon after, plunging to his right to push away
a curling long-range effort from Oscar after
Neymar’s persistence had taken him to the
byline before his pull-back was cleared.
Barcelona ace Neymar then went into the
book for catching Real Madrid’s Luka Modric
with an arm across his throat, with the Croatia
players unhappy it was not red, and Jelavic
tested Julio Cesar with a header from
Perisic’s cross with Olic screaming for a pull-
back.
But Neymar then showed why he is the darling
of the nation, bringing the hosts level with a
low long-range effort which beat the
despairing dive of Pletikosa, hit the post and
sent the Arena Corinithians into bedlam.
Moments before the interval the previously
excellent Olic’s unwise attempt at a Zidane
turn gifted the ball to Neymar, before Hulk took
over and fired wastefully off target.
The second half began at a lower tempo than
the first, but Brazil were still bossing
possession and probing for a second without
testing Pletikosa and the Olic-Jelavic axis
almost combined again for Croatia at the other
end of the field.
A sloppy moment from Vedran Corluka
allowed Neymar to bear down on the Croatia
goal and he earned a free-kick over 25 yards
out when the defender came back with a
desperate lunge which earned him a booking,
but Dani Alves fired over the bar.
Brazil were then gifted their route to victory in
the 71st minute when Fred threw himself to
the ground under minimal pressure and
contact from Lovren as he attempted to reach
Oscar’s cross, with Nishimura’s verdict
allowing Neymar to convert, although
Pletikosa got his hands to the penalty.
It was almost 3-1 in the 77th minute when
another fine Oscar cross was headed over the
bar by David Luiz with Neymar closing in
behind him to convert and claim a hat-trick.
Croatia pushed for a leveller but were denied
when Olic was penalised for challenging Julio
Cesar at the far post before Luka Modric saw
a low shot saved by the Brazil goalkeeper.
Julio Cesar was called into action again to
deny Perisic as the clock ran down before
Oscar settled the nerves for Luiz Felipe
Scolari’s men as he burst clear and toe-poked
home from the edge of the area as the game
entered added time.
Culled from Sky Sports
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