The Day in 100 Words or Less It was a day for football fans to try and set aside their consciences and allow what happens on the field to distract them away from the happenings in Brazil. It was a day where the host nation were asked to open the tournament and show us what they were made of: A day that the history books will show as a win for Brazil but ultimately the bigger story was much more than that. Observations - Croatia deserved a chance to show us what they were made of. For 70 minutes they were rightfully level with the World Cup favourites. It could have been an acid test for Niko Kovacs side to see what they could accomplish. Unfortunately, they were robbed of that opportunity. - It was a very unfortunate moment. Many eyes were on this game that rarely glance at a soccer match and when referee Yuichi Nishimura pointed to the spot in the 70th minute the world asked: "Why?" The Japanese official adjudged that Dejan Lovren had fouled Fred but the truth was he placed his hand on his shoulders and the Fluminense man went down. - With the world watching it was hard not to feel sadness. In the opening act of the games greatest carnival, one mans massive error in judgment had turned the spectacle into a farce. - It then became Neymars day. For a 22-year-old making his World Cup debut in Brazil, wearing the famous number 10 shirt, he showed a remarkable amount of poise. He had already scored one, gliding into space provided by Oscar, before unleashing a shot passed Stipe Pletikosa and then, at 1-1, he had the nations hopes placed on his right foot. - The referee handed the ball to Neymar at 69:30 and he placed it on the spot at 69:38. He then waited and waited and waited some more before placing the ball into the net 50 seconds after he put it down on the ground. I am not sure what was going through Neymars mind during those 50 seconds but he showed no sign of pressure in one of the most intense moments in recent Brazilian football history. - Croatia, led by the intelligence of Luka Modric, didnt go down easily and the game remained remarkably open until the final stages when Oscar finished it off. - We may never see another game at this World Cup that was this stretched. Brazil worked the flanks the entire game and two of Croatias most dangerous attacks (one on which was their goal) came from crosses wide in the opening 10 minutes. - Remarkably, less than 18 per cent of Brazils attacks came through the middle. Man of the Day Nominees: Neymar – a brace from Mr. Box Office in the biggest game of his young life put his face in newspapers across the globe. Oscar – The Chelsea playmaker had a brilliant game and showed just why Luiz Felipe Scolari cared little for his poor form at Chelsea in the last few months of the Premier League season. Luka Modric – Brazils two central midfielders had a very difficult time against the Real Madrid man, who was very intelligent with his passing and feasted on space when countering. Ivan Perisic – the Croatian winger had a very good game and it will be interesting to see if other players, asked to play against Brazils left side attacker, can be influential because Hulk - used a lot on the left - showed little appetite to track back. Yuichi Nishimura – the referee made a monumental mistake. Some on social media jumped to an assumption of match-fixing. Everyone needs to be very careful when drawing a line between incompetence and intentional error. The winner... Oscar was sensational. Many expected him to play centrally but he occupied a wide right position, tracking back and winning all four tackles he attempted. Brazil clearly had a plan to attack down the right but it was the 22-year-olds exceptional play certainly helped emphasize that method. Oscar has the potential to be the best player at this World Cup. He is so versatile, he can be three players in one. He is capable of coming deep and helping out the two central midfielders, can move wide and pull defenders with him to open up space centrally (which is what happened on Neymars first goal) and he can advance and run beyond all, pulling opposing back lines deeper. Brazil may need to change their style against a top team later in the tournament, potentially bringing in a Ramires or Fernandinho for Hulk, for example, and Scolari was given food for thought on day one for this because of the brilliance of Oscar out wide. Dani Alves was the biggest beneficiary of Oscars positioning. The Barcelona right back was culpable on the opening goal, pressing higher than anyone on Pletikosa as Croatia started an attack, but as the game settled down so did the 30-year-old. Between them they created a dynamic duo with overlaps and easily led the game in total pass completions between team-mates. What Comes Next? Day 2 sees Mexico vs Cameroon (Noon et/9am pt), Spain vs Netherlands (3pm et/Noon pt) and Chile vs Australia (6pm et/3pm pt). Catch all the game live on the TSN radio networks. Burning Question for Tomorrow Will a young Dutch team be brave enough to play a back three and counter a potentially vulnerable Spanish team? All stats and diagrams were powered by Opta Jason Kidd Jersey .com) - Nino Williams posted 18 points and seven rebounds, as Kansas State edged No. Dallas Mavericks Jersey . The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled to arrive in Boston in time for a workout on Tuesday afternoon. Much of Mondays discussion focused on Bostons lineup considerations as the series progresses, specifically when the venue shifts to St. http://www.officialmavericksfanstore.com/customized/. DETROIT LIONS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 9:30 AM (ET) Detroit - RB Reggie Bush, TE Eric Ebron, TE Joseph Fauria, WR Calvin Johnson, QB Kellen Moore, TE Brandon Pettigrew, OT LaAdrian Waddle Atlanta - CB Javier Arenas, DT Jonathan Babineaux, OT Cameron Bradfield, WR Freddie Martino, QB Sean Renfree, OT Jonathan Scott, LB Tyler Starr SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Seattle - DT Jordan Hill, CB Byron Maxwell, OT Andrew McDonald, TE Zach Miller, C Max Unger, LB Bobby Wagner, WR Bryan Walters Carolina - CB Bene Benwikere, LB Chase Blackburn, WR Philly Brown, G Amini Silatolu, G Trai Turner, RB Fozzy Whittaker, RB DeAngelo Williams HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS, 1:00 PM (ET) Houston - OT Jeff Adams, DB Josh Aubrey, LB Brian Cushing, DB Darryl Morris, WR DeVier Posey, QB Tom Savage, LB Jeff Tarpinian Tennessee - RB Antonio Andrews, WR Kris Durham, TE Richard Gordon, DL DaQuan Jones, CB Coty Sensabaugh, OT Will Svitek, TE Taylor Thompson BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1:00 PM (ET) Baltimore - CB Chykie Brown, LB Arthur Brown, DL Chris Canty, TE Owen Daniels, G/C Gino Gradkowski, RB Bernard Pierce, OT Jah Reid Cincinnati - RB Rex Burkhead, DE Will Clarke, WR A. Jose Juan Barea Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange. Kostas Antetokounmpo Jersey . Johnson shared an update after his surgery Tuesday on Twitter. He also wrote, "now lets get on the grind." The running back told The Tennessean he was having surgery in Pensacola, Fla.BEREA, Ohio -- As he discussed the possibility of quarterback Johnny Manziel being picked by Cleveland in the upcoming draft, Browns linebacker Quentin Groves made a small sign of the cross. A prayer that hes coming? A plea that he stays away? Groves intentions with his gesture werent clear. Like just about everything around Johnny Football, theres no definite answer. The most polarizing player to enter the NFL in a while, Manziel, is being closely linked to the Browns, who own the No. 4 overall pick in next weeks draft and have been seeking a franchise quarterback for more than a decade. Clevelands inability to land a QB either in the draft or via free agency or blind luck may be the single biggest reason the Browns have only made the playoffs once since 1999 and seem to change coaches every year. There are those who believe Manziel can save the Browns. Others feel the Texas A&M quarterbacks dazzling skills -- and size -- wont translate to the pro game. Hes dynamic. Hes too small. Hes a game-changer. Hes self-absorbed. Hes a hard worker. Hes a head case. Hes charismatic. Everyone has an opinion on Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who has been projected as being picked anywhere from the top 5 to the bottom of the first round. "If Johnny Manziel came through, if he beats out the other quarterbacks that are here, its all good," Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden said. "I like Johnny Manziel. I like him a whole lot." Hadens not alone. Sports radio talk shows here are crammed with callers screaming for the Browns to choose Manziel, one of several QBs in this years class expected to go in the early rounds. Cleveland hasnt used a pick higher than No. 22 on a quarterback since taking Tim Couch first overall 15 years ago. The Browns have done their homework on Manziel. The team recently worked him out privately in College Station, Texas, and brought him to Cleveland to visit their training facility and headquarters. As they consider taking him, Browns general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam wanted to get to better know Manziel, who served a suspension last season for violating an NCAA rule involving signing autographs, as a person. Theyve seen him on film. Nothing beats the real thing. "I dont think I have any reservations with who Johnny is," Farmer said. "Hes a good young man. I think the interesting part about Johnny is that, much like a lot of us, you dont get a handbook for how to operate in certain instances.dddddddddddd "When you go from being a kid from Tyler, Texas, to being Johnny Football and winning the Heisman Trophy really quickly, they dont hand you a manual and tell you how to handle the media swarm, how to handle the paparazzi, how to handle people coming up to you at dinners. "He would tell you very candidly that its probably not how he would have written it up now that hes at the end of it or getting towards the end of his college career, but you live and you learn." Manziel would certainly put Cleveland back on the football map and revitalize a flagging franchise. Hed sell tickets and move merchandise. But is that enough? Groves called one of his college coaches now at Texas A&M for a scouting report. "I asked him, How is Johnny? Is he a football guy?" Groves said. "He said, Honestly, hes the most competitive guy youll ever meet. He is a guy that will come in, be the first in, last to leave. thats just him. I know you have the flashy lifestyle (Groves mimics Manziels signature finger rub), (rapper) Drake and all that stuff, and at the end of the day the guy wins ballgames. "He makes plays. He extends drives and wins ballgames." Browns offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan, who coached quarterback Robert Griffin III in Washington, thinks Manziels unorthodox style can win in the pros. "If you can make those plays in college, you can do it in the NFL," he said. "The one thing about the NFL, theres a lot of tape out there. Youve got to be able to do everything. "Whatever you do very good, theyre going to eventually be able to shut that down and youre going to have to do something else. Hes going to be able to make plays in this league. Eventually when they try to contain him, hes going to have to do everything he didnt always have to do in college." The Browns must also consider all that comes along with Manziel. Number 2 brings a three-ring circus. Groves, for one, believes the Browns are suited to add Manziel. "Were a mature enough team to handle it," he said. "Weve had some individual success here and people have handled it well. Josh Gordon and (Alex) Mack going to the Pro Bowl, Joe Thomas going to the Pro Bowl. Joe Haden and Jordan Cameron making their first Pro Bowls, things like that. I think we can handle it." Cheap Buffalo Sabres GearWholesale Calgary Flames JerseysCheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche JerseysMontreal Canadiens Outlet StoreWholesale New Jersey Devils JerseysAdidas Arizona Coyotes JerseysCheap Adidas Boston Bruins JerseysCheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes JerseysChicago Blackhawks Shop Free ShippingWholesale Columbus Blue Jackets JerseysDallas Stars Shop Free ShippingCheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings JerseysAnaheim Ducks Jerseys ChinaWholesale Edmonton Oilers JerseysFlorida Panthers Shop Free ShippingWholesale Los Angeles Kings JerseysMinnesota Wild Outlet StoreCheap Adidas Nashville Predators JerseysCheap Adidas New York Islanders JerseysNew York Rangers Winter Classic JerseysCheap Adidas Ottawa Senators JerseysCheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers JerseysWholesale Pittsburgh Penguins JerseysCheap Adidas San Jose Sharks JerseysSt. Louis Blues Winter Classic JerseysWholesale Tampa Bay Lightning JerseysToronto Maple Leafs Outlet StoreVancouver Canucks Outlet StoreCheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights JerseysCheap Adidas Washington Capitals JerseysCheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '