FOOTBALL! YES!
You can stop making excuses for missing out on those boring family events, desist from trying to predict the score of 64 games and you can put down that book of trivia inspired by the summer of ’86.
The greatest show on earth is here, so come with us and bask in the glory of the 20th World Cup.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail Sean@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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It’s here, it’s here, it’s here it’s here.
Football fans, the highlight of your last four years is here. And we’ve got a doozy of a game to enjoy for starters:
The two strongest teams in Group A go head-to-head in Sao Paulo: Croatia (who must feel very, very unloved at the minute) and those boys from Brazil.
Brian Moore has already slid in recklessly with his score prediction in the comment section: He reckons Brazil will win 3 -1, which sounds plenty plausible.
Can anybody see Croatia bringing sorrow to Sao Paulo tonight or will it be one way traffic?
We’ve got some opening ceremony news to come (brace yourselves, it’s riveting stuff), but first some PROPER EXCITING STUFF.
Here are the teams for the opener. Croatia have gone for both Olic and Jelavic in attack. Both way more exciting than Fred.
Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Paulinho, Gustavo, Hulk, Oscar, Neymar, Fred.
Subs: Jefferson, Fernandinho, Dante, Maxwell, Henrique, Ramires, Hernanes, Willian, Bernard, Jo, Maicon, Victor.
Croatia: Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Kovacic, Olic, Jelavic.
Subs: Zelenika, Pranjic, Vukojevic, Schildenfeld, Brozovic, Rebic, Sammir, Vida, Eduardo, Subasic.
Referee: Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)
A little bit of Sao Paulo in Smithfield. If we had to be anywhere other than work this evening, it’d be this place. Samba-tastic.
Don’t be disheartened just yet, Croatia fans.
So, about that opening ceremony.
Thankfully, it’s over now, but it involved Pitbull, some really bad sound and some really, really, really high-waisted trousers.
Yep, no socks and a knock-off Brazil jersey from Aldi is just how pop superstars roll these days.
Thank goodness for J-Lo.
The teams are on the field! Let’s fist-bump and listen to some national anthems.
Wow. The music of the Brazil anthem died down and things got intense as the crowd belted out one last verse.
The nation is ready for the Copa Del Mundo. So Bring it on.
KICK-OFF: Good to go, World Cup.
Croatia move into the attack straight away, but David Luiz is on hand to inflict the first big tackle of the tournament. Great stuff.
3 mins: Looks like we have a pattern. Brazil force Croatia to sit very very deep, but once they misplace a pass, Olic is on hand and scampers up the left wing.
He takes a tackle from Alves as he swings in a dangerous enough cross, but there are not enough chequered shirts to cause much danger.
5 mins: Brazil win a free kick on the left win. Marcelo swings it inm but SIlva is at full stretch at the back post and can only set up Luis for a weak header under pressure from 12 yards.
CLOSE: A glorious cross in from the right by Perisic finds Olic at the back post, the striker heads down, but inches wide of the left hand post.
8 mins: Paulinho’s shot is deflected for a corner, but it’s cleared at the near post and Croatia look to counter swiftly again before Oscar cuts it out.
GOAL! Brazil 0 Croatia 1 (Marcelo OG ‘ 10)
Oof. Brazil didn’t see that coming, but Croatia have set out with a very clear gameplan of counter-attacking to swing in low crosses.
This time the deflected cross is shinned into the net by Marcelo.
Poor, poor Marcelo.
15 mins: Brazil have clicked into their gear called ‘pressure’ since that goal and even taken a leaf out of the Croat tactics book, but Fred and Neymar both missed out on the cross that zipped across the face of goal
20 mins: Just a hint of desperation about the Seleção now as they pump balls into the box.
Paulinho raises hope by fashioning a shot from an acute angle, but it’s straight at the keeper.
BRILLIANT SAVE! Pletikosa goes full stretch to deny Oscar’s superb curling left foot shot.
The chance came after some nice skill from Neymar, dancing along the end-line (possibly not quite keeping the ball in) before pulling a cross back.
25 mins: There’s the first yellow card of the world cup. Neymar booked for having his forearm pressed against Modric’s chin while the La Liga rivals waited for a ball to drop.
28 mins: The Free kick comes to nothing, an excellent clearing header from David Luis.
Up the other end…
GOAL! Brazil 1 Croatia 1 ( Neymar ‘ 28 )
Brazil are level thanks to a nice little finish from Neymar.
It wasn’t the cleanest or the most powerful hit, but it was enough to bobble past Pletikosa and in off the post.
34 mins: That goal has calmed Brazil, and the game, down no end. Both sides seem to be temporarily reverting to their initial gameplans.
36 mins: Scratch that, Brazil still have the gears to go through if they need. The raid through the middle and Oscar’s cut-back cross very nearly finds Paulinho on the edge of the box, but it’s clipped away by a defender.
39 mins: Oscar is really growing into this game as the time ticks on. The Chelsea man clipped a lovely little ball into the box for Fred to run onto.
Danger now as Neymar takes a tumble outside the area…
41 mins: Luiz looks like he wants to smash the ball good, but Neymar attempts the curling shot and curls it into the man who fouled him.
The corner threat is quickly snuffled out too as the visitors outnumber the man coming short to receive the set play.
Brazil still desperately pressing for a second goal as the board foes up for two minutes. They won’t find a breakthrough in this half, though. Croatia will be relieved to see the dressing room.
Right, hope you enjoyed your half-time Bovril, or whatever horrible drink they have in Brazil, because the second half is under way.
Kevin Kilbane has message for you from the future!
51 mins: Right, the second half is in full swing and we have to say; it’s been fairly disappointing stuff.
The tempo is getting sucked out of the game with every peep of the referee’s whistle.
53 mins: Still far too many balls and passes allowed to drift higher than Pitbull’s pants. Makes it very difficult for attackers to do anything more than help the ball onto the centre defenders.
Right, we’re 57 minutes in and both managers must surely be looking for their substitutes, because it’s stalemate out there.
Could Willian or Jo make any difference? How’s that famous Brazilian-Croat Eduardo keeping these days?
59 mins: Croatia to their credit are getting their act together a bit and beginning to put a string of possession together before going back to their favoured tactic of cross balls to the box.
And they’re also first to make a chance. Kovacic takes his leave of this curtain-raiser of two halves to be replaced by Brozovic.
63 mins: Hernanes comes on in place of Paulinho now and his first task is to watch Croatia swing in a free-kick, but it swings right back out again.
65 mins: Here they come.
Brazil turn the ball over in midfield and Neymar has a chance to run at Corluka.
Ooomph, but he’s not running for long. Big Vedran scythes down the number 10 to leave the hosts with a free-kick 30 yards from goal and central.
David Luiz again takes a back seat on the set-piece and Dani Alves fizzes a placed shot a foot over the bar.
About time. Hulk is given the Sherphard’s crook and on comes, eh… Bernard? These Brazilian names are shocking.
PENALTY! Dejan Lovren is penalised for a foul on Fred…. that’s incredibly harsh.
GOAL! Brazil 2 Croatia 1 (Neymar ‘ 71)
Kaka in the stands ends up happy.
But he and his owner, Jesus, must have had their hearts in their mouth for a split second as the ‘keeper got a hand to the penalty, but just… could … not… keep … it… out.
So harsh on Croatia, they’ve probably been the better side in the second half.
75 mins: Oh, it should have been three. Oscar flings in a lovely cross after skipping around the defender, but big David Luiz can’t direct his header anywhere but up.
80 mins: Croatia can rightly feel aggrieved at that outrageous penalty decision, but so far they haven’t been able to channel that frustration into creating a meaningful chance.
Big Phil’s brazil will be only two happy to sit back and pick their punches from here.
82 mins A howler from Julio Cesar as he flaps at the ball when Olic leaps alongside him.
Of course, the keeper gets the soft decision and the whistle blows before Rebic can turn the ball in to claim a disallowed goal.
84 mins: Brazil just looking a bit shaky again. A corner kick deflected off the first defender and flashed all the way in front of goal.
Rebic is looking dangerous and a Luka Modric shot stung the palms of Cesar from distance.
Me aul’ Croat chums deserve at least a point here.
There goes Neymar to a standing ovation, but not before he seeks out the ref for a handshake for the man who gifted him a second goal tonight.
Luis Gustavo is in the game.
89 mins: Croatia continue to press and threaten, a wicked shot almost catches Cesar, but the hosts escape…
… and they go straight down the other end.
GOAL: Brazil 3 Croatia 1 ( Oscar ’91)
Oscar comes up with the ultimate World Cup toe-poke after running at the defender and taking aim from the edge of the box.
Four goals, and after that one bobbled in, not a looker in the bunch.
You’d have to be sickened if you were a Croat right now. Seriously impressive for the vast majority of this game, but they go into their remaining group games with no points and a -2 goal difference.
Brazil however; got the rub of the green, white and blue when they needed it. And ultimately got the job done by taking two half chances when they came their way.
Thanks for joining in our liveblog on day one of the 2014 World Cup, we’ve got a LOT more football where that came from.
Now, off to bed with you so that you’re ready to give Spain V Holland your all tomorrow.
Awful game. But a win is a win. Congrats Leinster.
@Gareth Keenan: Jesus it was
@Gareth Keenan: Barnes loved blowing that whistle in fairness. Took all the momentum and entertainment out of the game
@Rudiger McMonihan: yes couldn’t agree more, was at his finicky best.
@Rudiger sure its all.about Wayne, righr
Great culture of winning developing in Irish rugby, great going forward well done Leinster.
Great game, fair play to Leinster (from a Munster man), brilliant achievement to match Toulouse now at the top of the table with wins … But what was Teddy Thomas at there with 3 minutes to go?!
@CB: serious brain fart
James Ryan is bordering on a freak. Still unbeaten as a professional but no coïncidence. He makes yards he has no right to, pushes players back when it looks like he’s going to suffer in the tackle, an absolute monster of a player. One could say the same things about Leavy.
A pivotal moment was him stealing the ball from D Ryan in the lineout in the second half, a great moment for Irish rugby. Despite the fact D Ryan was never a lynchpin starter for Ireland, it was still a case of out with the old in with the new.
@Andrew Hurley: D Ryan is a bit like Cullen. Good enough for Ireland but not enough caps to reflect his brilliance due to strong competition in his position. That J Ryan steal on D Ryan was a pretty momentous part of the game.
@Old Gordon: No offence to Cullen but Ryan has the potential to be twice the player Cullen was. Cullen was a solid pro but lacked the something special that makes a great international. Ryan has that and lots more.
@Eddie Hekenui: he is talking about Donnacha Ryan not james
@William Finnegan: Ah sorry my bad. Too many Ryans.
Tell Adidas it’s Stars and Stripes for next season
I sort of feel like I’ve just run a marathon in Dubai after a three day session. I’m relieved, but was it worth it? And jaysus… I’m on a bloody couch. In all seriousness, that man Necewa deserves nothing less. Utmost respect for him.
What a battle. Congrats Leinster, savage stuff !
You sometimes forget how lucky you are to support a club like Leinster. An honour. YESSSSSSSS!! CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!! #4Stars
@Callum: I was just thinking that as great as it is when Ireland win the feeling you get when the club you support win is just a completely different feeling of pride.
@Sam Harms: It’s special! And to do it with a homegrown squad. Unbelievable.
@Callum: it makes the frozen toes and being drowned by the rain all worth it haha
@Callum: get a grip!
****
To have been involved in all 4 finals speaks volumes of the man!
No better way to send Isa off into his retirement. Hopefully they win next week too for his last game in the RDS
A cautionary tale for anyone thinking it would be a walk in the park. Too close for comfort. Well done Leinster!
Exceptional match report in a very short space of time! Well done Leinster from a Munster man
Boring game but well done
@Marcodub: champions for the 4th time.. unreal.. legends
Not sure whether Leinster won it or managed not to lose it. Racing matched them at their own game very well.
Didn’t mind Barnes today but more generally, does anyone get penalises for going off feet at the ruck anymore?
Also, James Ryan’s run continues…
@Simon Clarke: Barnes didn’t give what was the most obvious yellow of the season to Nakawara just before HT. I watched the game on French TV and to a man they couldn’t believe it wasn’t yellow.
@Andrew Hurley: That was the howler. Only other one for me was a disparity in how much advantage was played at times.
@Simon Clarke: The rule change that I think would most benefit rugby is the time a ball can be kept in a ruck. To change it, perhaps this backleg thing needs changing as players coming in to “lengthen” the ruck is a nonsense. There were some 15 second rucks which destroy the flow of a game.
Congratulations Leinster. A tough old game but they came out on top.
@Jim Demps: A 3 point ‘massacre’ eh Jim?
@Oval Digest: glad to see your first post on it was to me. Enjoy the win. I was right with the prediction. Wrong about by how much.
@Jim Demps: No second Jim! You were indeed, good to get the win though! ****
@Jim Demps: please refrain from the crystal ball reading there Jim, racing were never that inept.
Welk done Leinster. Well deserved. Wish ye didnt win for obvious reasons. But it was yers to lose.
@Gavin Mitchell: What obvious reasons lol?
@Callum: Look at the jersey I am wearing…..
@Gavin Mitchell: Ah, so you supported a French team over an Irish province. Please don’t admit that in public bud..
@Callum: And why cant I?
Leinster are Munsters biggest rivals. Why follow them?
@Gavin Mitchell: fairly bitter fan in football and rugby. I’d be delighted if Munster won.
@Gavin Mitchell: Because most of those lads won you a grand slam this year. Petty…..but hardly surprising.
@Gavin Mitchell: I refuse to believe you were up for a bunch of French blokes over Irishmen..
@Yorkie1892: And did I make any indication I wanted Racing to win? I was a neutral. Wouldnt have mattered to me who won
Jesus lads just enjoy the win. There’s plenty of time next week for the provincial nonsense
@Callum: Callum as great as it was for Irish Rugby and the Pro14 I cannot ever bring myself to supporting Munsters biggest rivals.
@Eddie Hekenui: Its what we do Eddie. Throw some accusations at one another. Just so that someone comes out like a fool.
@Gavin Mitchell: your first comment was, wish you didnt win for obvious reasons. Just own it bud, you wanted Racing to win. No shame in that
@William Finnegan: Not quite how Callum saw it lol.
But as I said well done to them. I dont ever want them to win anything but if tgey do I cant complain because they earn it. Thats all.
@Martin Quinn: yes i do Martin. Its fantastic for both Irish Rugby and the Pro14. Thats the only reason Id be OK with them winning.
But jn terms of succes achieved from a provincial perspective that is different. How would you feel knowing your no.1 team is second best to the one thats just across the country? Youd hate it of course.
@Gavin Mitchell: genuinely dont understand that thinking. Worst thing about Irish rugby is the Munster v Leinster “banter”.
@Gavin Mitchell: maybe because they are Irish??? The rest of us would support munster if they were in the final against a “foreign” team. Fair enough you are a munster supporter but quite obviously not an Irish rugby supporter.
@Gavin Mitchell: I support any team from this island, against any team from elsewhere, in any sport. As a Leinster man, I Will go to the pro 14 final, to support Munster, if they beat Leinster next week.
Freedom of Dublin for Nacewa. Strike that, freedom of the island for him.
@Gavin Mitchell: get over it fool
Jesus lads he can support anyone he likes. Get over it.
@Eddie Hekenui: Eddie I am an anomaly in this version of the Matrix. Theyre all Agents hardwired to this system and are trying to eliminate me. But they aint getting rid of me that easy XD.
@Gavin Mitchell: I support Munster and I always want an Irish team to win
I have great pride in our two and supported Leinster in their four wins
Most real fans do but people come here to wind people up
@Gavin Mitchell: well then you’re just simply bitter and twisted. I get the provincial rivalry and indulge in it myself …….when relevant. But in a situation such as this it’s Ireland first. I’m a die hard Leinster fan but had Munster been playing Racing slid have been supporting Munster
@Eddie Hekenui: no Eddie. It’s simply fundementally wrong not to support an Irish team in these circumstances.
Time and again you’ve been banging on about the primacy of the national interest etc for example the Carbery/Ulster question. Here’s a situation where a guy simply declines to support an Irish team in a European final based solely on a parochial bias. Pathetic
@Tom O’Gorman: My “banging on” about players/coaches doing the best thing in the interest of the national team is totally different to a lad not supporting a rival province. That’s a bizarre comparison to make. Gavin not cheering for Leinster has no impact on the players or the Irish team. You can’t force anyone to support a team if they don’t want to.
@Gavin Mitchell: Sad. Most Irish rugby fans would support an Irish province regardless of whether their own team is in the final. You describe yourself in your twitter bio as a Man Utd fan. So I doubt rugby is a sport you even understand. Maybe take a lesson from the genuine Munster fans. Who have been excellent this week. Cos we’ll be standing standing shoulder to shoulder with each other, all four provinces, in 2019 in Japan
@Matt: If you think I’m not a genuine Munster fan that’s too bad really. Considering you do not know me in any way.
Have you not noticed at all in any way I COMPLIMENTED Leinster in my original post?
@Gavin Mitchell: finally someone who agrees that there needs to be more of a football like rivalry
Unreal, fair play boys
What a tense game going right down to the last kick. Monumental effort from the Leinster pack in particular. Is there a level that James Ryan has not stepped up yet and thrived. The guy is incredible. Great game from Fardy too. Fantastic to see Nacewa be the guy to seal the win. Guy has been such a servant to Irish rugby. That said shocking stuff from Teddy Thomas to throw the game away. All he had to do was carry straight into contact and they’d have cleared the ball down the pitch. The young guy at 9 for Racing really stepped up to point that Machenaud was hardly missed but they could’ve done with Carter for that drop goal attempt
As a sports lover and GAA my first love ..I admire Leinster ..with their limited money and shallow pool of players compared to France and England .. they are the best in Europe for the fourth time …. this is some sporting achievement up there with Italian 90 and Leicester winning the premiership … amazing
No point in Munster turning up.. Leinster are unbeatable..
@Dead Ball Browne: ok there, now move along folks… No feeding the trolls.
@Stephen Rogan: ah leave him there is no soccer for him to cheer on today. It will be epic next week
Heart goes out to Racing in such a tight battle that never really got going. Bollix is hard to measure both from some clowns talking up Leinster and writing off Racing all week and the sets on show today by both squads.
@Scott Crossfield: You are obviously fluent in some other language than English. Is it fluent Bitter you speak? I no understand.
@Camroc: mainly to sum up, you can never measure a teams heart as shown by Racing today with all the odds against them and injuries. And still a bounce or kick of a ball separated them against us.
I’d imagine some of those Racing players and staff would like to kill Teddy Tomas. If I was a Racing fan I’d never forgive him.
@Les Wynan: Then you wouldn’t be much of a fan would you.
@Les Wynan: in the words of the Bayern team to their goalkeeper after the Champions League semi “You win together, you lose together”
Credit to Leinster. Fantastic team and a very well deserved result
I thought it was Munster who grinded out the wins
I would not say a classic but a win is win Racing threw it away and Leinster dug in and got a win on stats they were stronger but Racing made some serious errors in end and also lost 3 star players If all were available Leinster would have seriously struggled congrats Leinster 4 stars now great achievement
@Sportmad: You could argue we were missing O’Brien, Lowe and a fully match fit Ruddock.
@Eamonn Dunne: very true but only two changes made to line up as I said bad game but Leinster stuck at it and got the win..
Phew
#4Stars
Not the ‘massacre’ or ’20 point win’ that some strangely predicted all week, but by god we’ll take that! Four star generals!
Congrats to Leinster, but it should be know that they were extremely lucky being behind most of the game, and this media hype of them and Irish rugby in general is seriously over f@@king rated!!!
@Peter Mc: Best International team in Europe and 2nd best in the world and the best club side in Europe who are right up there with the best in the world. Not sure how you can consider them over rated?
@Peter Mc: ★★★★
@Peter Mc: in dry weather we win by 10-15 points. Guarantee you
@Fred McHugh: don’t know about that, their defence was unreal. But feck it who cares how we win, we well deserved to win it with the performances we put in over the season
@Fred McHugh: And if they Carter, Machenaud and Lambie who knows. No place for ifs and buts in sport. You play what’s in front of you and Leinster did that today and thankfully came out on top. They won’t care one bit whether it was 1 point or 15. If anything a win in that manner would make it all the sweeter
@Eddie Hekenui: And if we had SOB, Lowe and Ruddock who knows how much more we could have won by.
@Peter Mc: played poorly for long periods against a team playing out of their skins and still won. Terrible stuff alright.
@Peter Mc: Wouldn’t say lucky, just did what champion teams do, grind it out when things are not going exactly to plan. Stay calm and take the chances when they come. Look at Ireland v France this year.
@Peter Mc: being behind and winning is the sign of a great team. Sometimes you don’t win pretty. Not sure what planet your on if you say Leinster are overrated.
ERC Winners again 4th time – joint highest
Pro14 semi final & won it more times than any other Irish team
B&I Cup Runners up – highest no of wins of B&I cup of any other team
@Gary: I’m not knocking Leinster. Just saying there’s no place for ifs and buts. There are a million different ways things could’ve played out. The only one that matters is the way things did play out. Leinster won and that’s all that matters.
@Frank Reilly: sorry for you
Hope Johnny plays as well against Munster
@James O Lone: I hope he he plays like that next week from a Munster point of view, he was poor today
@Peter Mc: I no that was an attempt at sarcasm he was brutal
@James O Lone: good thing about Johnny is that when he has a bad game he’s fierce fired up the following week.
@Sam Harms: he’d want to it shortly haven’t seen much of it lately does he even know the pro14 exists
@James O Lone: Probably not. But it’s only Munster so he can probably just coast through it.
no pints boys! Munster next week!
@Fred McHugh: saw a video of James Lowe in the dressing room in his boxers when he wasn’t even playing, I think the no pints ship has sailed!
Fuming down in Munster
@Aidan: Why would you say that ? do you even go to Rugby games if so you would not say that plastic supporter I’m sure..
@Sportmad: 10 years last time Munster won European trophy it’s fecking embarrassing
@Aidan: classic reply from a non fan of rugby band wagon comes to mind if as I said earlier you go to these games that would not be a comment you would post.
If you saw my post as a Munster fan that goes to games and is a supporter member which I doubt you are 10 years is a number that is hard to fathom and seeing it’s 5 for Leinster 4 finals four wins but ye are not the first to have 4 wins even Lecister have been runner up 2 if not 3 times in final Toulouse 4 wins too.. if you can talk about embarrassment like that then I am sure you never even went to a game.. What’s embarrassing about this thread are your views I’d say a man Utd fan too..
Congratulations to Leinster. Well deserved Champions
Legend
I got the feeling from the start that Leinster were just trying to keep the scoreboard ticking over and stay in touch with Racing until the last 15 or 20 minutes when the French traditionally tire out and then Leinster would expect to carve them up and score tries…but it didnt happen that way at all and fair play to Racing to keep up the tackling for the full 80. Johnny didnt go for gilt edge chances to go for a 5 metre line out and a push over try off the back of penalties instead he kicked the 3 points and that quick tap to nothing…they were probably afraid of the Racing defensive lineout too much there too. But a great game…not vintage rugby but as tense as they come. Teddy Tomas and his Im a superstar brain fart cost them the game though, he hero against Munster…the fool today.
Fuming down in Munster
A tough and successful lesson for this group on how to grind out the result in the trenches.
What a f*****g legend.
Rob that mans passport. Hes NEVER leaving us….
Didn’t see it. I don’t have that station on my television. Sounds like it was a great match.
Well done Leinster. Well deserved. Unbeaten and you knew how to win a tight game.
How was giving out the medals that Sexton hugged?
Lets double up on the eurovision
James Ryan is a freak of nature
@Ben Williams: and not a sight of a neck on him!! In words of Sid Waddell “Jocky Wilson “what an athlete”!
Win 4 the Hippos…4 times,munster 3….Ireland top of the rugby “world”…. Giant global stuff..what a f*****g laff!!.Tournament of 4 countries out of 202….must be 12 yrs old this comp!!
@rufustfirefly: is there an adult there we can talk to?
@Martin Quinn: ur right,know f all about rugger,but a lot about merchants who support it! U are familiar with the term “merchants” I take it