Five talking points from Brazil 3-1 Croatia

A few points of interest from the World Cup opener, in no particular order.

#1 Power vs playmakers: Croatia prevailed in midfield, but lacked the end product

In the centre of the pitch, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic faced off against Luiz Gustavo and Paulinho. The contrast in styles was stark: the two Croats are adept passers and technically perfect players, while the Brazilians have a more physical approach, devoid of creativity. In a sense this was skill vs brawn – but neither had a definitive impact on the result.

While Modric - practically unrecognizable without his locks - combined well with Ivica Olic to kickstart attacks down the left, Gustavo and Paulinho were unable to provide much of an outlet going forward. Gustavo at least was useful in ball retention, moving it sideways and backwards; but there was little attacking thrust from the Brazilian midfield. Croatia frequently counter-attacked in the first half, and battled on equal terms in the second, with Kovacic or Olic frequently storming into the box. None of these charges found the net, however, which was surprising considering how pedestrian the Brazilian defence was throughout (more on that in a bit). 

Paulinho looked jaded, and it’s worth asking what he brought to the table: he offered little in attack, defence or passing.