WORLD CUP KICKS OFF
SAO PAULO — He exited in the 87th minute to an ovation from 61,606 adoring subjects that befitted a king of the realm.
At the very least, a crown prince ambitious for the throne.
With expectations of a sixth World Cup title already firmly planted in the imaginations of the non-protesting portion of the Brazilian populace, the Selecao were greeted as already-conquering heroes when they trotted out onto the immaculately groomed Arena de São Paulo carpet late Thursday afternoon.
This was World Cup atmosphere at its most electric. The noise inside the stadium was nothing short of deafening, rising and moving out this solid wall of sound. A carpet of yellow filled the four corners of the stadium like Van Gogh sunflowers.
J-Lo, rapper Pitbull and Brazilian chanteuse Claudia Leitte had performed earlier during the opening ceremonies. Still they had to accept second-billing, a spot in the chorus, to the headliner everyone had paid good money to see:
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior.
‘Futbol’s’ latest prodigy certainly didn’t disappoint to open a tournament many believe will usher in a new era, his era, on the worldwide stage, scoring a lovely snooker goal off a post to open Brazil’s account and then from the penalty spot as the pre-tournament favourites got off a solid, if controversially fortunate, start, sliding past Croatia 3-1.
Neymar was, quite simply, irresistible.
“It was the best (I could hope for),” Neymar told ESPN Brasil. “We wanted to win and starting a World Cup with two goals gives me great happiness.
“If you notice the goals, they were all a bit strange. I really did mean to put the ball between the defender’s legs (for the first), but not for the shot to be as weak as it was but the important thing is that it was a goal.
“How do I keep my cool for the penalty? It’s a lot of practice, to hit the ball really strong. Their keeper gave me a little scare there but the ball went in, thankfully.”
If you’re a Croatian, though, the man of the match for Brazil wasn’t the slender Barcelona star but Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura.
An absolutely atrocious penalty call unfortunately stained what otherwise was a showcase start to the tournament. Whether it was merely an odious call or worse, a reputation call, only Nishimura can say beyond doubt. What is beyond question is the only people capable of defending the decision are Brazilian devotees.
“If that’s a penalty,” said Croatian coach Nino Kovac, during his post-match media conference, “we don’t need to play football anymore. Let’s play basketball instead.
(Kovac was so upset that he needed a full three minutes to answer the first question pitched him).
A slight touch on a shoulder from Croatian defender Dejan Lovren and Brazilian striker Fred went down as if he’d been pushed out of an airplane or body slammed by Hulk Hogan. Whether or not you consider it a missed call, a reputation or a hometown call, it was a bad call.
After a brief stutter-step, stop-up, Neymar stroked a penalty that deflected into the right-hand corner of the net, despite Stipe Pletikosa getting both hands to it.
Close. Unlucky. Bummed. Kind of summed up Croatia’s night.
What the game needed off the hop to fire it to life was a goal from the underdogs. So lo and behold, the courageous Croatians stunned both the crowd and Big Phil Scolari’s men at the 11-minute mark when Ivica Olic’s low cross from the right flank was deflected by striker Nikica Jelavic and toepoked into his own net by a backtracking Marcelo.
From then on, Brazil poured forward in numbers. Neymar shimmied past a lazy Ivan Rativic and cut back, the initial pass cleared but Paulinho thumping a followup shot that Pletikosa did well to parry.
Piling on the pressure finally paid off as Neymar pulled the trigger on a skittering shot that avoided Pletikosa’s lunge and glanced in off the post.
The ever-influential Oscar added a third late.
Off the run of play, the Brazilians were fully deserving of the three points.
At that, the Croatians can walk away feel cheated, giving the timing and importance of the call.
What everyone should take away from the opening match of World Cup 2014 is some sumptuous play by an extravagantly gifted young man on the verge of having the world, and maybe even the World Cup, at his feet.
What will linger is a regrettable bit of florid playacting that won’t do anything to alleviate convictions of the conspiracy theorists out there that mighty Brazil are a team of destiny.