SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Neymar showed why he is carrying Brazils 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 werent going well," he said. "The first match is always difficult, we were anxious, we were nervous. Im 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 didnt hit the ball perfectly, "but it went in, its all that matters." "Its important to start these tournaments on the right foot, with a victory," said Neymar. "Im 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 Neymars 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 favourite to win the competition. "The team didnt 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 wasnt 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). Blue Jays Jerseys 2019 .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. Stitched Blue Jays Jerseys . QUARTERBACKS Carson Palmer (vs Colts)Last week: 30/42, 419 yards, 2 TDsWinners of their last three and now tied for the final wild card spot in the NFC, the Cardinals are worth keeping an eye on. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/. They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Blue Jays Jerseys 2020 .J. - Several people have collapsed in an overcrowded New Jersey train station while waiting in long lines to get to the Super Bowl. Fake Blue Jays Jerseys . Meanwhile, the Jets extended their winning streak to four and remain perfect under Paul Maurice. Its the Jets second four-game winning streak of the season, the other coming in mid-November.MILAN, Italy -- Luca Toni scored again to help Hellas Verona thrash relegation-threatened Catania 4-0 in Serie A on Sunday to boost its European chances as Parma lost 1-0 at Cagliari. Verona remained level on points with Torino and Lazio in the race for sixth place and the final Europa League spot. "We have nothing to lose in the race for Europe," Toni said. "Well be fired up, we know we can go down in history. Well see what will happen in three weeks time." Torino beat Udinese 2-0 while Lazio won by the same scoreline at relegation-threatened Livorno. The results saw Torino, Lazio and Verona move a point above AC Milan and Parma. "We werent as strong and determined as usual, thats the main thing about this match," Parma coach Roberto Donadoni said. "We werent ourselves in the first half, but even so we didnt give much to Cagliari. "Then two incidents determined the final result: the penalty and the sending off of one our players meant we were chasing the game with a numerical disadvantage. Now we have to try and get the maximum of points, in other words nine points in three matches, working as hard as we can." Also, 10-man Sampdoria fought back to beat Chievo Verona 2-1 and Genoa drew 1-1 at Atalanta. Verona got off to the perfect start when Catania goalkeeper Alberto Frison palmed away Juan Iturbes shot and Toni fired in the rebound in the sixth minute. Toni thought he had doubled his tally in the 28th when he headed home for what would have been his 20th goal of the season. However, the Italian league later awarded it as an own goal by Frison after watching video evidence which showed the effort had rebounded off the post and in off the goalkeeper. "Before I didnt believe I could win the top goalscorers award this season," Toni said. "It would be something extraordinary at 36 years of age." Marquinho extended Veronas lead on the stroke of halftime with a low drive following Juanitos pass. Juanito saw a shot turned onto the post by Frison moments later, but the Argentinian did get onto the scoresheet in the 75th with a curled effort into the far corner.dddddddddddd Ciro Immobile remained on course for the top goalscorer award as he scored his 21st goal of the season for Torino. Omar El Kaddouri had given Torino the lead in the 15th when he weaved his way into the left of the area before firing into the near side of goal. Parma was looking to get back on track after just one win in its past seven matches. But it was Cagliari which broke the deadlock in the 35th minute after Alessandro Lucarelli took down Daniele Dessena, right in front of the referee who pointed straight to the penalty spot. Mauricio Pinilla converted, sending Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante the wrong way. Parmas hopes of getting back into the game evaporated early in the second half following a moment of madness from Felipe, who was sent off for pushing Luca Rossettini in the face. The Brazilian had to be dragged away by Pinilla and faces a lengthy ban. Both teams needed points in Livorno, with the home side desperate to avoid relegation and Lazio chasing a Europa League spot. Livorno gifted Lazio the lead in the 15th minute as goalkeeper Francesco allowed Stefano Mauris angled volley to squirm between him and the near post. Lazio doubled its lead six minutes after the break when former Livorno winger Antonio Candreva scored a penalty after Leandro Rinaudo was harshly adjudged to have handled. Livorno remained in penultimate position in the standings, three points off safety, and five behind Chievo. In the evening match, Paolo De Ceglies first goal in more than two years appeared to be enough to secure victory for Genoa and snap a four-match losing streak. Genoa managed to last most of the second half with 10 men after Daniele Portanova was sent off five minutes after the break for a foul on German Denis. Mattia Perin saved the resulting penalty. However, Atalantas pressure finally paid off eight minutes from time. Perin pulled off a stunning save to deny Guglielmo Stendardo but Giuseppe De Luca -- who was clearly offside -- put the rebound into the empty net with an overhead kick. ' ' '