Brazil takes World Cup opener: Brazil 3-1 Croatia

Neymar celebrates after scoring in the World Cup opener Brazil vs Croatia
Neymar celebrates after scoring in the World Cup opener Brazil vs Croatia

When Neymar appeared to twist his ankle in the warm-up, a nation held its breath. Had disaster struck before a ball had even been kicked? After all the talk, all the hype and giddy excitement about what he might achieve over the next month, was Neymar’s World Cup already over? Was this going to be the sequel to the Ronaldo drama before the World Cup 1998 final?

Well, no. Neymar was up again quickly enough, ready to take his place in the side, and an entire nation puffed its cheeks and relaxed. Everything was fine, panic over, time for Neymar to take centre stage and show the world why he is spoken of as Pele’s heir and Barcelona spent all that money on him.

Neymar has rarely been affected by pressure when he puts on that yellow shirt yet he is the only Brazil player who can aspire to one day be at the level achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, a global star surrounded by a solid support cast who are largely there to do his bidding.

The forward is the only truly virtuoso talent Brazil possess and he is expected to sprinkle his stardust on a powerful but, at times, functional side yet Neymar was strangely becalmed in the early exchanges, almost as if he had been affected by the injury scare before kick-off. One stunning run on the right aside, he struggled to make his presence felt and a sign of his frustration came when he caught Luka Modric with an arm in the face. While a booking was probably correct because of the apparent lack of intent, Neymar was fortunate that the Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura was not more hardline…

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South Africa Today Sport – Football News – Brazil vs Croatia – Football