Brazil leaves it late to beat Costa Rica 2-0 at World Cup

After more than 90 minutes of aggravation and exasperation, Neymar and Brazil finally broke through Costa Rica’s smothering defense.

Philippe Coutinho scored in the first minute of stoppage time, and Neymar followed six minutes later to give Brazil a 2-0 victory over Costa Rica on Friday at the World Cup.

Unlike Argentina and Lionel Messi, Brazil is still in a good position to advance to the round of 16. Costa Rica has been eliminated.

Neymar thankful he's not in a wheelchair now

Neymar became emotional when talking Thursday about the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, saying that if the knee to his back had been slightly more to one side he "could be in a wheelchair" right now.

Brazil tries to stay confident after losing Neymar

Still coping with the loss of its biggest star, Brazil is trying to find ways to remain upbeat about its prospects at the World Cup.

The medical helicopter that took Neymar home with a back injury also carried away much of the country's hopes for a sixth world title, but the tournament isn't over yet and Brazil is just days away from a difficult semifinal against Germany.

Neymar: World Cup dream still alive

Brazil star Neymar says his World Cup may be over because of a fractured vertebra but his World Cup dream of celebrating the title with his teammates at the Maracana Stadium next Sunday is still alive.

Neymar and Rodriguez to duel in World Cup quarters

Brazil striker Neymar and Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez have led their teams to the World Cup quarterfinals, dominating the attention and the scoring.

The 22-year-old stars will go head-to-head when Brazil plays Colombia on Friday, when only one will get the chance to continue his run at the tournament.

Saved by the woodwork, Brazil lives another day

Tight and tense as it was, it was enough to keep Brazil's national obsession of winning the World Cup on home soil from taking a desperately disappointing turn. 

Brazil beats Cameroon 4-1, reaches 2nd round

Neymar knew the responsibility was his. An increasingly anxious host nation was relying on him to ensure Brazil avoided the almost inconceivable prospect of going out in the group stage of a World Cup on soil.

The 22-year-old Barcelona striker delivered on the weighty expectations Monday, setting the Selecao on course to clinch its place in the knockout stage with two precision first-half goals in a 4-1 rout of Cameroon.

Neymar leads Brazil to 3-1 win over Croatia

Neymar showed why he is carrying Brazil's hopes at the World Cup, scoring twice on Thursday to help the underwhelming hosts escape a disappointing start to the tournament.

With Brazil struggling and down a goal against a spirited Croatian team, Neymar came through to lead his team to a 3-1 win in the opening match, scoring once in each half. The killer goal to make the score 2-1 was a hotly contested penalty awarded by Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura.

"Things weren't going well," he said. "The first match is always difficult, we were anxious, we were nervous. I'm glad I was able to get the goals we needed at the time we needed them."

"He is a special player and we know that," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "And he needs to know that we know that."

Brazil got off to a slow start in its home tournament.

Defender Marcelo found his own net while trying to clear a low cross by Ivica Olic in the 11th minute, stunning the crowd of more than 62,100 packing the Itaquerao Stadium.

But Neymar equalized in the 29th, firing a perfectly placed low shot that went in off the post. He said he didn't hit the ball perfectly, "but it went in, it's all that matters."

"It's important to start these tournaments on the right foot, with a victory," said Neymar. "I'm happy that I got to score, but the entire team deserves credit. We maintained our calm and showed we could battle back."

The game turned on a controversial penalty awarded by Nishimura in the second half after striker Fred went down inside the area under minimal contact from defender Dejan Lovren.

Neymar scored from the spot in the 71st minute, getting his 33rd goal with Brazil. Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa nearly saved Neymar's shot, but it was struck hard enough to deflect into the net.

The Croatians were furious.

"If that was a penalty, we should be playing basketball. Those kinds of fouls are penalized there," Croatia coach Niko Kovac said.

"That is shameful, this is not a World Cup referee. He had one kind of criteria for them and another for us. The rules were not the same," Kovac said.

As Croatia searched desperately for an equalizer, Oscar added to the lead in the first minute of injury time with a toe poke from just outside the penalty area.

A draw would have been a huge disappointment for Brazil, which had won its opening match the last eight times and is overwhelming favorite to win the competition.

"The team didn't give up," Brazil defender David Luiz said "We knew it would be hard but we played well and got that first goal and then the victory."

The tournament finally got underway as planned after months of talk about the preparation problems that plagued Brazil since it was picked as host seven years ago.

The troubled Itaquerao, which wasn't fully finished for the opener, held up without major setbacks to fans or the match itself, although part of the lights atop the pitch went out a few times for brief periods in the first half.

Lineups:

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho (Hernanes, 63), Oscar, Neymar (Ramires, 88), Hulk (Bernard, 68), Fred.

Croatia: Stipe Pletikosa, Sime Vrsaljko, Darijo Srna, Dejan Lovren, Vedran Corluka, Ivan Rakitic, Nikica Jelavic (Ante Rebic, 78), Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Ivica Olic, Mateo Kovacic (Marcelo Brozovic, 61).

By TALES AZZONI

The Associated Press

Brazil aiming to put World Cup focus on the games

The problem-plagued preparations have been well chronicled, with critics condemning the range of issues from budget blowouts to construction delays.
 

Organizers need Brazil to kick off the tournament with a win over Croatia on Thursday to shift the focus back to what the host nation really cares about: winning a sixth World Cup. Brazil hasn't hosted the tournament since 1950, when it lost to Uruguay in the title match, and that only adds to local expectations.
 

"We have to do everything possible to win this World Cup," Brazil midfielder Ramires said. "We know everybody is expecting us to do it."
 

With that in mind, let the games begin. 

Here are some things to look for Thursday:
 

NEYMAR'S MOMENT: Carrying the hopes of a nation is something that gives the 22-year-old Brazil striker goose bumps.

 

"The time everybody has been waiting for has arrived," said Neymar, who will direct the attack for a team that is aiming to "fulfill the dream of every Brazilian by winning the title."

The Barcelona forward has scored 31 goals in 49 matches for Brazil, but he says it's not a one-man show.
 

"I don't play by myself," Neymar said. "There are 11 players on the field, and everybody knows their role and what they need to do to try to help our team make it far in the tournament."
 

SPOILERS: Croatia will shock the host nation and the world if they come away with even a draw, particularly without Bayern Munich forward Mario Mandzukic, who was suspended following a red card in a playoff to qualify.
 

Croatia, which surprisingly finished third in 1998, features Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric and Sevilla captain Ivan Rakitic, who is moving to Barcelona and will be Neymar's teammate.

Croatia coach Niko Kovac said his team can deliver a "historic result" in Sao Paulo.

EDGE OF THEIR SEATS: With hundreds of millions of people watching on TV, organizers at Itaquerao stadium have extra cause to be edgy about preparations.

The Sao Paulo venue is set to hold a capacity crowd for the first time in the opening match of the World Cup.
 

The 61,600 spectators will certainly test the facility and put a strain on safety plans and equipment, which was still receiving finishing touches Wednesday after chronic delays, worker deaths and other problems during construction.
 

Just two matches — and none with more than 37,000 fans — were held at the Itaquerao to test its readiness.
 

WE ARE ONE: J.Lo is likely to perform at the World Cup after all. Jennifer Lopez told The Associated Press earlier this week that she would be flying to Brazil in time to perform during Thursday's opening ceremony.
 

"We always were going," she said. "I think people get anxious, especially with me and my schedule ... but we are definitely going."
 

FIFA officials had announced earlier this week that the singer wouldn't perform the official tune "We Are One (Ole Ola)" alongside Pitbull and Claudia Leitte.

UPSET WATCH: Brazil has won 15 of its last 16 games and heads into the World Cup as a favorite to win the title, but Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad is aware that there's no easy opener at the sport's marquee event.
 

The World Cup has produced its share of shockers on opening day. Until 2006, the first game usually involved the defending champion, not the host. Two of the biggest: Cameroon upset defending champion Argentina 1-0 in 1990, and defending champion France lost 1-0 to Senegal in 2002. 

The Associated Press