by the great Pele, Neymar ensured he made
everything count last night when hosts, Brazil, took
on Asian champions Japan in the opening game of
the Confederations Cup at the Estadio Nacional in
Brasilia. The newly-recruited Barcelona forward shot
into the top corner in the third minute after
connecting with a Fred knockdown on the edge of the
area. Paulinho made it 2-0 in the 48th minute from a
Dani Alves' cross before Oscar sent substitute Jo
running clear to add a third goal in added time. The
Confederation Cup is the first major tournament to
be staged in Brazil since the 1950 World Cup and
with less than a year to go, the eccentric combination
of Yellow and Green donned by ecstatic fans at the
Estadio Nacional was a prove that Brazilians are
rearing to go. Going into their first competitive
fixtures in 23 months, Luis Felipe Scolari knew he
needed a win to lift off the pressure, as his side had
only won two of their previous nine games. And
Neymar's blistering shot, after just two minutes and
53 seconds effectively relieved the tension. Scolari
later admitted he had been delighted by the
response of the 21-year-old, who has been struggling
to cope with the immense weight of expectation.
"There are sometimes games when he might not be
at his best but Neymar is a star. He makes a
difference to the team and he will always do that,"
Scolari said. Scolari also warned against complacency
ahead of Wednesday's match against CONCACAF
champions Mexico in Fortaleza. "We must beware of
Mexico and get over the next hurdle to reach the
semi-final. Mexico have been making life complicated
for us for a few years now," he added.
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