Goals: Croatia—Marcelo 11' (own goal); Brazil—Neymar 29', 71' (penalty), Oscar 90'+
Recap: Brazil were able to overcome a near-catastrophic own goal from Marcelo in the 11th minute, defeating Croatia 3-1 Tuesday evening.
A world-class response from Neymar in the 29th minute was followed by a penalty in the second half. His brace would give Brazil an insurmountable 2-1 lead. A brilliant run from Oscar in stoppage time sealed the victory.
Capturing the full three points, Brazil now sit atop Group A and are in the driver's seat to advance to the Round of 16.
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Key Moment: Don't let the final scoreline fool you. Brazil was far from dominant and this match was not devoid of controversy. Deadlocked at one, referee Yuichi Nishimura generously awarded a penalty to Brazil. The minimal contact from Dejan Lovren was enough to bring Brazil's Fred down. Replays, however, definitively show the Brazilian striker's intention to draw the foul and earn his team a hash penalty.
Nishimura doubled down on his horrid officiating, showing Lovren a yellow card. Neymar would bury the subsequent penalty after goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa failed to parry it safely.
Man of the Match: Neymar finished with a brace, but the totality of Oscar's game was too brilliant to overlook. The 22-year-old finished with one goal, but his one-on-one duels are worthy of mention, finishing with seven dribbles and four tackles (via WhoScored).
Lesson Learned: The pressures of the opening match weighed heavily on Brazil in the early moments. If not for Nishimura's decision, there's no telling what the final result would've been. Croatia was forced to abandon it's defensive scheme—two blocks of four with two strikers pressing—after Neymar's brace, allowing Oscar enough space to counter in stoppage time. There's no guarantee that same opportunity would have been there had Croatia been allowed to defend for a draw.
The victory will allow Brazil to breathe a sigh of relief, but doubt still remains. Especially with the pressure intensifying after every match.
Up Next: Brazil will host Mexico on Tuesday, June 17 at the Estadio Castelao. Croatia will travel to Manaus to face Cameroon on June 18.
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