A shame in Sao Paulo

Like cheap drink at a party, tonight was a celebration that left a bad taste in the mouth. What started off as the Samba-style festival the world had predicted - despite the best efforts of an underwhelming opening ceremony and Pitbull - had, by the end of the night, verged upon the farcical.

Some of the ridiculousness should not be taken lightly – ITV’s television studio supposedly suffered minor damage after a number of anti-World Cup protestors began hurling debris at the media centre - but the scandal began long before Yuichi Nishimura, noticeably lenient towards the Brazilians all night, blew his final whistle, the same whistle that sadly found itself as the game’s focal point.

Eight of the last 12 opening games at a World Cup have produced a goal or fewer, but there never seemed a danger of this one going the same way as both sides began openly, perhaps frantically. Within ten minutes, Croatia threatened to spoil the party as Ivica Olic bought enough space off of Dani Alves – as he would continue to do all night – to drill the ball across the box and against the ankle of the despairing Marcelo for the unwanted honour of becoming the first goalscorer at this World Cup. As Jonathan Wilson remarked on Twitter (@jonawils): the Croat was put among the pigeons.

It was only the beginning of the embarrassment for Real defender Marcelo, as his side found themselves on the right side of some questionable decision-making from Yuichi Nishimura (businessinsider.com)

History will look upon the game more fondly than the Brazilians deserve, for the score-sheet tells a misleading story of Brazilian resurgence led by their ‘boy wonder’, Neymar (a title Clive Tyldesley employs so incessantly you’d have thought he was employed by Marvel Comics). The reality, though, was a tepid display aided by good fortune from the moment the Barcelona forward escaped heavy punishment for what appeared to be a calculated elbow into the throat of Luka Modric.

As if to rub salt into the wound, it was Neymar who dragged Brazil level on the stroke of half-time, his admittedly well-struck effort finding its way between the legs of Dejan Lovren and beyond the outstretched arm of Stipe Pletikosa.

But Neymar’s affair with lady luck was not over, for when Fred tangled with Lovren in the penalty area – the Fluminense striker’s only ‘contribution’ to the game – he took the chance to give Brazil a lead they scarcely deserved. Though it would be a stretch to suggest the celebrations of the partisan crowd were tinged by guilt, it would be equally hard to imagine that many of them could honestly say they agreed with Nishimura’s decision to point to the spot.

It is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a host nation has got the rub of the green at a World Cup finals but if FIFA bills the tournament as a display of the sport being played at its best, then it must be ensured that the refereeing is of equal quality. Games and whole tournaments rest on big moments, but the game would be better off if these were moments decided by the twenty-two competitors rather than those officiating.

Croatia will have won many fans tonight for the way they responded to the injustice of going behind, but they were rewarded only by a final hammer blow dealt by Oscar – a man no-one could begrudge being on the winning side tonight. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s decision to move Neymar inside to a more recognisable number 10 role meant the Chelsea midfielder found himself on the right of Brazil’s attacks. Croatian efforts to shackle Neymar through the middle left Oscar with space to exploit, and exploit it he did, bursting from deep ten minutes from time and poking the ball home.

As the Brazilians filed out of the stadium amid fireworks and protests alike, they’ll know they have got away with this one. It was not the convincing performance many expected: their full-backs looked suspect defensively and Neymar’s two goals belied a performance in which he hardly shone. Nevertheless, starting points don’t come much better than three points in your opening game and an improved Brazil with a Neymar ready to seize the tournament will no doubt rear its head before the group stage is out.

The real shame in Sao Paulo, however, was the fact that this opening game will be remembered not for Oscar’s brilliantly-taken goal – the match’s one moment of genuine quality – but for the image of a wide-eyed Nishimura running away from a crowd of Croats, pointing almost demonically at the penalty spot.

The BBC’s expert on South American football Tim Vickery (incidentally another of the night’s positives – more of him, please) managed to refrain from suggesting that Nishimura was pressured by FIFA into attempting to appease Brazilian political unrest through his decision-making, but the fact that the question of conspiracy is even raised highlights the sad extent to which the officials’ decisions soured what should have been the sweetest of celebrations.