With the first game played, there will be a feeling of relief around Brazil as the Little Canary came away with a 3-1 victory over an unlucky Croatia but how far can the Brazilian team realistically go at this World Cup?

It wasn't the convincing, free flowing performance the home crowd would have wanted against Croatia and the officials made some very controversial decisions in favour of the Brazilian team. So, despite the victory and the 3 points, Brazil did not have it all their own way and will need to improve if they are to go on and win the World Cup.

Going forward, Fred was non-existent at times and when the ball did come in to him he didn't offer any threat, occasionally laying the ball off and at other times losing possession. Hulk was another attacking player who will have to raise his game if Brazil are going to succeed. The powerful forward got into some decent positions but was either tackled or struck a rash shot that was never going to trouble Stipe Pletikosa.

Defensively, Dani Alves looked exposed at right back, known more for his attacking forays down the right wing, Ivica Olic got in behind the Brazilian on a number of occasions with one cross leading to the own goal of Marcelo. In addition to this, Julio Cesar never looked completely comfortable when dealing with shots low down on either side.

However, it really was a case of cometh the hour, cometh man, with Neymar responding to all the pressure on his young shoulders by producing a dynamic display. Picking the ball up between the midfield and defence, Neymar struck fear into the Croatian defenders, who backed off leading to his first goal of the game. Oscar also had a superb game, linking the play up nicely between midfield and attack, his work rate was superb and he capped his performance with a nerve settling goal towards the end of the game. If Neymar and Oscar can continue this kind of form then Brazil are certainly capable of beating any team in the tournament.

So, having played their first match, how far can Brazil go at the World Cup? Well, if you can play below your best and still win it's a great sign and Croatia are a good team. However, Brazil will come up against more difficult opposition in the later stages of the tournament and the weaknesses shown defensively and up-front will get exposed if they are not rectified before then. If they can do this, with the home crowd behind them, they can at least reach the semi-final stage. A word of caution though, Spain, Holland or Chile await in the second round and whichever team they face it will be a huge test. If Brazil can pass that test, they will be dreaming of World Cup glory once again.

Brazil to win the World Cup 3.75 @ Bet365