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(CNN) -- Nervy, unconvincing and fortuitous -- but Brazil could scarcely care less.

On a night where its players finally stepped into the high-pressure cauldron atmosphere of the World Cup on home soil, Brazil found a way to win.

Gone are the days of "Fútbol Arte" or "Joga Bonito" -- the beautiful game -- this current generation cannot compete with that of 1970 or 1982.

But it does possess its own heroes -- and when Brazil needed him most, Neymar, for so long the face of this World Cup, stepped up and delivered.

His two goals, the second a highly controversial penalty awarded in a farcical manner by referee Yuichi Nishimura, ensured Brazil triumphed 3-1 over Croatia in Thursday's opening match.

Oscar's stoppage-time strike ensured a party atmosphere in Sao Paulo -- though it did not prevent protesters from assembling outside the stadium immediately after the contest.

In a week where politics has overshadowed sport, this was the result the entire country had hoped for and rounded off a day which had begun in worrying fashion.

Earlier Thursday, violence erupted in Sao Paulo as police clashed with protesters around 11 kilometers from the stadium.

Critics are furious with the Brazilian government for spending $11 billion on the World Cup instead of low-income housing, hospitals and schools.

Inside the arena, the country's president Dilma Rousseff was booed by the crowd despite her attempt to keep a low profile.

But any frustration at the political problems which have overshadowed the lead-up to the tournament were temporarily placed on hold.

As the Brazilian team lined up for the national anthem, those draped in yellow rose to salute not just their heroes -- but their entire homeland.

This was not a simple song -- this was a war cry, a call to arms to relieve the pain and struggle of daily life, and the disaster of 1950.

Not since that year has Brazil hosted the tournament.

For 64 years the nation has waited to exorcize the demons of its darkest day in football.

Brazil, needing just a draw to win the tournament, led 1-0 at halftime against Uruguay and appeared destined for greatness.

Medals were engraved, newspapers were published at halftime declaring Brazil champion of the world.

It was set to be the biggest celebration the country had ever witnessed -- but nobody remembered to tell Uruguay.

Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalized to stun the home crowd as the visiting team began to sense fear inside the Maracana Stadium.

And then, it happened -- the moment that brought about what would be known as Brazil's "Hiroshima" moment.

Brazil goalkeeper Moacyr Barbosa allowed an effort from Alcides Ghiggia to roll underneath his body and into the net -- Uruguay was crowned champion.

For Barbosa, life would never be the same.

Even though he was named goalkeeper of the tournament he was scapegoated and never allowed to forget his error until he passed away in 2000.

"Under Brazilian law the maximum sentence is 30 years," Barbosa remarked on his 79th birthday, just two weeks before he passed away. "But my imprisonment has been for 50 years."

Brazil's players are no strangers to the history of their nation -- the yearning to erase the pain of 1950 has been with each and every generation who have pulled on the famous yellow jersey.

So when Marcelo inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net after 11 minutes, you could have forgiven those draped in yellow for looking to the heavens.

Croatia, which finished third at the 1998 World Cup, deserved the lead -- though it came in fortuitous circumstances after Nikica Jelavic's miscued effort was turned in by the Real Madrid defender.

Buoyed by the goal, Croatia appeared full of confidence and could have had a second when Jelavic peeled away at the far post only to send his header straight at Julio Cesar.

Shocked and stunned by conceding, Brazil slowly but surely wrestled its way back into the contest.

And in Neymar, the team has a player ready to carry the nation on his shoulders.

So much pressure has been placed on the 22-year-old, who endured a difficult first season at Spanish club Barcelona, but this is the moment he has been waiting for.

And when his country needed him, he responded. With 29 minutes played, Neymar took advantage of the space in front of him before unleashing a low 25-yard drive which flew into the corner.

As the ball hit the back of the net it was as if a pressure valve had been released -- joy unconfined, thousands hugging, dancing, kissing and glancing skywards to offer prayers of gratitude.

This was Brazil, resplendent in its yellow and blue, pushing forward. And when it needed it most, it had the luck too.

With 20 minutes of normal time remaining, referee Nishimura adjudged that Dejan Lovren had fouled Fred and pointed to the penalty spot.

It was a bewildering decision, with television pictures clearly showing that the Brazil striker had fallen over and not been dragged down by Lovren.

While the Croatian players raged at the Japanese official, Neymar steadied himself and took the spot kick, only just beating Stipe Pletikosa from 12 yards.

"If that's how we start the World Cup, we'd better give it up now and go home," Croatia coach Niko Kovac told reporters after the game.

"We talk about respect, that wasn't respect, Croatia didn't get any.

"If that's a penalty, we don't need to play football anymore. Let's play basketball instead, it's a shame."

With Croatia riled by the injustice, it attempted to respond almost immediately and Ivan Perisic thought he had equalized only to be denied by the referee's whistle.

Luka Modric's long-range drive then forced Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar into a scramble as Croatia pushed on in search of the goal to draw it level.

But just as Brazil appeared to be hanging on, a moment of magic from its most impressive player on the night, Oscar, ensured victory.

A sweeping counter-attack allowed the midfielder to run clear before toe-poking the ball past Pletikosa to secure victory.

Brazil will face Mexico in its next game on June 17 in Fortaleza.

Mexico begins its Group A campaign against Cameroon on Friday, when there is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final in Group B with champion Spain taking on Netherlands.

Friday's final game sees Chile take on Australia.

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（CNN） -神經質，缺乏說服力和偶然-但巴西幾乎不能不在乎。

在一個晚上在那裡它的玩家終於跨進了世界杯在本土的高壓釜的氣氛，巴西找到贏球的辦法。

飄“FUTBOL普藝”或“Joga的鰹魚”的日子 - 漂亮的比賽 - 這一代不能與1970年或1982年的競爭。

但它確實擁有自己的英雄 - 當巴西最需要他，內馬爾，對於這屆世界杯的那麼長的臉，踩上去並交付使用。

他的兩個進球，第二一個極具爭議的點球授予一個可笑的方式由裁判西村雄一，確保巴西3-1戰勝了克羅地亞在週四的首場比賽。

奧斯卡的停工時間罷工保證了黨的風氣在聖保羅 - 儘管它並沒有阻止示威者從比賽後立即在體育場外組裝。

在一個星期的地方政治已經蓋過了運動，這是導致整個國家所希望的，並四捨五入一天就開始的在令人擔憂的方式。

週四早些時候，暴力在聖保羅爆發警察與示威者約11公里，從體育場發生了衝突。

批評者感到憤怒與巴西政府的支出為11十億在世界杯上，而不是低收入者的住房，醫院和學校。

裡面的舞台上，該國總統迪爾瑪·羅塞夫被人群儘管她試圖保持低調的噓聲。

但在已蓋過了籌備階段比賽的政治問題遇到挫折暫時擱置。

由於巴西隊一字排開的國歌，那些披著黃色的玫瑰行禮不只是他們的英雄 - 但他們的整個家園。

這不是一個簡單的歌 - 這是一場戰爭吶喊，戰鬥的號角，以減輕疼痛和日常生活的鬥爭，和1950年的災難。

不是因為這一年，巴西主辦的比賽。

64年全國已經等著驅走它最黑暗的一天在足球惡魔。

巴西，僅僅需要一場平局贏得比賽，帶領1-0在半場對陣烏拉圭，似乎注定要成就大事。

獎牌分別刻，報紙都刊登在半場結束時宣布世界冠軍巴西。

它被設置為最大的慶祝該國曾經親眼目睹 - 但沒有人記得告訴烏拉圭。

胡安·阿爾貝托·菲諾扳平擊暈家鄉父老為客隊開始感到恐懼馬拉卡納體育場內。

然後，它發生了 - 這帶來了什麼將被稱為巴西的“廣島”的時刻的時刻。

巴西門將Moacyr允許巴博薩努力從阿爾西德斯Ghiggia推出他的身體下面，並成網 - 烏拉圭加冕冠軍。

對於巴博薩，生活將不會同過去一樣。

即使他被任命為他替罪羊，決不允許忘記了自己的錯誤，直到他在2000年去世了比賽的門將。

“根據巴西法律的最高刑期為30年，”巴博薩說，他79歲生日，就在兩個星期前，他去世了。“但我的入獄已經50年。”

巴西的球員都不會陌生，他們的民族的歷史 - 的渴望抹去1950的疼痛已經與誰已被拉上了著名的黃色領騎衫的每一代。

所以當馬塞洛無意中轉移球進自家球門後11分鐘，你可以原諒那些披著黃色的看向天空。

克羅地亞，這在1998年世界杯上獲得第三名，當之無愧的主角 - 儘管它排在偶然的情況後，耶拉維奇的miscued努力被皇馬後衛上繳。

由目標的鼓舞下，克羅地亞出現充滿了信心，並且可能有第二次，當耶拉維奇剝離在遠門柱只直送他的頭在塞薩爾。

感到震驚和目瞪口呆失球，巴西緩慢而穩步地按倒它的方式回到比賽。

而在內馬爾，球隊有球員準備進行國家在他的肩膀上。

那麼大的壓力一直放置在22歲，誰在承受西班牙俱樂部巴塞羅那一個艱難的第一個賽季，但是這是此刻的他一直在等待。

而當他的國家需要他的時候，他回答。比賽進行至第29分鐘，內馬爾趁著在他面前的空間，釋放它飛進角落低25碼驅動器之前。

當球擊中淨回就好像一個壓力閥已被釋放 - 歡樂潛水，成千上萬的擁抱，跳舞，親吻和一眼飆升提供了感激祈禱。

這是巴西，在燦爛的黃色和藍色，向前推進。當它最需要的時候，它有運氣了。

20分鐘剩餘時間正常，裁判西村判決認定德揚·洛夫倫弄髒了弗雷德和指向點球點。

這是一個令人困惑的決定，與電視畫面清晰地顯示出了巴西前鋒已經下降了，而不是被拖累洛夫倫。

雖然克羅地亞球員肆虐的日本官員，內馬爾穩住自己，並採取了點球，只是剛剛擊敗普萊蒂科薩12碼。

“如果這就是我們如何開始的世界杯，我們最好放棄現在回家，”克羅地亞教練尼科·科瓦奇在比賽結束後對記者說。

“我們談論的尊重，這是不尊重，克羅地亞沒有得到任何。

“如果這是一個點球，我們不需要再踢球了。讓我們打籃球，而不是，這是一個恥辱。”

與克羅地亞激怒的不公，它試圖幾乎立即作出回應，佩里西奇以為他只是扳平了由裁判的哨聲被拒絕。

莫德里奇的遠射驅動器，然後用力巴西門將塞薩爾成為爭奪克羅地亞尋找的目標，繪製水平壓入。

但正如巴西似乎是從它在當晚最令人印象深刻的球員掛，一個神奇的時刻，奧斯卡，確保了勝利。

一個籠統的反擊允許的中場腳趾戳球過去普萊蒂科薩爭取勝利之前運行清晰。

巴西將面臨墨西哥在接下來的比賽6月17日在福塔雷薩。

墨西哥上週五開始的A組對喀麥隆運動，當在2010年世界杯決賽B組重複與冠軍西班牙採取的荷蘭。

週五的最後一場比賽中看到智利採取的澳大利亞。