The biggest sporting extravaganza, the Football World Cup kicked off at Sao Paulo last night, with hosts Brazil beating Croatia, 3-1 in the opener. Young Barcelona forward Neymar Junior scored twice to take Brazil past Croatia in a match which was billed as the toughest fixture of Pool-A. Initially in the 11th minute Brazil had hiccup with Marcelo's own goal but later on equalised by Neymar Junior in the first half and then he later converted a penalty corner in the second half to maintain the lead. In the extra minutes Oscar netted a long range goal to seal the match for Brazil.In tonight's Football World Cup fixture, three group matches are scheduled. In Group-A, Mexico will take on Cameroon, while in Group-B, defending champions Spain will clash with the Netherlands, and Chile will meet Australia. The Mexico-Cameroon match will be played at Natal at 9:30 PM, the Spain-Netherlands game will take place in Salvador at 12:30 AM, and the Chile-Australia game will kick off at 3:30 AM in Cuiaba. The finalists of the last World Cup, Spain and the Netherlands, will meet at the Arena Fonte Nova tonight, a match some believe is the most worth-watching game of this World Cup. Both sides have in their squads some of the best players of the recent times. With the services of Costa, Iniesta, Villa, Mata and Fabregas available upfront, Xavi, Alonso and Koke in the middle, Ramos, Pique and Alba in defense, and Casillas between the sticks, Spain oozes with talent and could be any team's nightmare. But, many are skeptical about their chances this summer, due to the climate and also the fact that other teams will know what to expect from them. The Dutch, on the other hand, after their World Cup final loss, have struggled recently. But, with the likes of Van Persie, Robben, Sniejder, Guzman, Krul, Vorm and Kuyt, this team, if given an opportunity, can tear apart any team's plans. While Del Bosque has said that Spain is still in their prime, all eyes will be on Louis Van Gaal, the new Manchester United manager, how he will take on the Spanish and if he'll be able to take the Oranje to the semifinals. Only time will tell.
News On AIR | June 13, 2014 8:46 PM
FIFA World Cup: Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in opening tie; Defending Champion Spain take on Netherlands later tonight