Last night's game in São Paulo was marred by two dubious calls by Yuichi Nishimura that arguably decisively influenced the outcome; he awarded Brazil a penalty on the flimsiest grounds, and he disallowed a Croatian goal by an unusually strict interpretation of the rules. (Brazil beat Croatia 3-1.)
Of course, Croatia had only themselves to blame; with a bit more ruthlessness they could have put the game away. For, the Croats exposed the vulnerability of Brazil's defense. For whenever the Brazilian backs were challenged on the flanks, they had trouble not just containing the Croatian counter attacks on the wings (catching the Brazilians on the back-foot), they were incapable of preventing Croatian crosses into the box that exposed Brazil's lack of organization at the core of their defense.
To observe the preceding is not to deny Brazil's genuine greatness: they have great ball-winning powers on midfield; they have amazing off-the-ball speed and position-play, and with their skill they find openings toward the opponent's goal against high-quality, mistake-free defense. But as a rule, without a great defense one does not win a World Cup. Some of Brazil's opponents will have just as much skill as Croatia (a fine, but not brilliant side), and if given the same opportunities, they will be more ruthless.
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