2014 - Brazil 3 Croatia 1
After a delightful entrée of Pitbull and J-Lo - ‘Ole Ola’ anyone? - Croatia took a shock lead when Brazilian defender Marcelo bundled one into his own goal. Neymar got the hosts level with a low shot from outside the box which bounced in off the post to make it 1-1 at the half. He then scored the winner from a soft penalty 18 minutes before the end. Oscar added a late goal in the 90th minute. Good game. Good result for the hosts. As colleague Kris Shannon, who is quite fashionable, noted at the time – two of the best football strips at the World Cup. Brazil would later be pantsed 7-1 by Germany in one of the most bizarre semifinals.
Grade: B+
2010 - South Africa 1 Mexico 1
Not the vuvuzelas, please not the vuvuzelas.
It took 55 minutes before the first goal of the World Cup when Siphiwe Tshabalala walloped one by Mexico’s Oscar Perez. South African keeper Itumeleng Khune made some key saves as the hosts held on for 24 minutes until Rafael Marquez got the equaliser. Katlego Mphela almost claimed the winner in the last minute getting onto a long goal kick, similar to a Miraslav Klose goal against England a few weeks later, but his shot hit the post. South Africa shocked France in their final group game but finished behind Uruguay and Mexico in Group A. Probably the only time you’ll watch South Africa clash with Mexico in football, or any sport for that matter.
Grade: B
2006 - Germany 4 Costa Rica 2
Didn’t lack goals and heilige moly what an opener by young German defender and future World Cup lifter Philipp Lahm, scoring with a curling shot from the edge of box in just the sixth minute. Paolo Wanchope hit back for Costa Rica in the 12th minute (VAR may have had words) before Klose gave Germany the lead again. He made it 3-1 on the hour mark before Wanchope also got his second (again probably offside) to cut the score to 3-2 with 17 minutes left. Torsten Frings eventually closed out the game in the 87th minute with a snotter from well outside.
Grade: A
2002 - Senegal 1 France 0
The shock of all shocks in Korea. Senegal, one of the smallest nations at the tournament, playing in their first World Cup game against the nation that colonised them. France were without an injured Zinedine Zidane but were still stacked with names like Barthez, Thuram, Desailly, Vieira, Petit and Henry. But it was Papa Diop who stamped his mark with the only goal in the 30th minute, scored while sitting on his bum. France had plenty of chances to equalise but didn’t convert them. It was the last time that the defending champions were guaranteed the opening game (yes you can be thinking ‘So I could be watching France-Australia instead of this?’ tomorrow morning). France went onto to finish last in Group A.
Grade: B-
Other opening games of note
1934 - Fifa seemed to go with the Red Zone package of eight games at once which resulted in a staggering 45 goals including hosts Italy beating USA 7-1.
1938 - Noted neutrals Switzerland got a 1-1 draw with Nazi Germany as the tournament began with round of 16 elimination, forcing a full replay which the Swiss won 4-2.
1982 - Eight years earlier Fifa changed it so the defending champion played in the opening game. The first two openers in 1974 and 1978 ended in 0-0 draws before Maradona’s Argentina became the first champion to lose, going down 1-0 to Belgium at the Nou Camp.
1990 - Maradona and Argentina again, losing 1-0 to Cameroon in Milan eight years later. Argentina still made it to the final before losing to West Germany.
1994 - Germany edged Bolivia 1-0 at Chicago’s Soldier Field where Bolivian substitute Marco Etcheverry earned a red card after just four minutes on the field.
