World Champions Hang On To The Cracker From Kaka

Brazil vs Croatia
Berlin

Brazil and Croatia walked up the short steps onto the pitch at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, at 8.54pm local time, to a tremendous welcome from their adoring fans and thousands of neutrals who were lucky enough to get tickets to see the World Champions set out to defend their crown; although they had to go through the qualifying campaign like everyone else, apart from the hosts Germany.

Kaka and Ronaldinho gave each other a huge hug as the teams took up their positions.

Ronaldinho's first magical demonstration occurred in the third minute. Croatia didn't fall under his spell and cleared the danger.

In the 15th minute, Stipe Pletikosa was forced to tip over a log-range shot from Roberto Carlos, then get down to save from Ronaldinho when the ensuing corner was taken.

Croatia had their moments down the wings as well, with Dado Prso making good runs down the left. An even first twenty five minutes.

Nico Kovac seemed to suffer a rib injury but returned to the pitch to pull back Kaká on the edge of the area and earn himself a yellow card. Ronaldinho blasted the ball into the wall, won the ball back, jostled with three of four Croatians then tried to get an attack going again on the left, with an extravagant back-heel. Croatia continued to contain the World Champions by spotting the dangers early.

Then Nico Kovac received another barge into the midriff and, after trying to go on yet again, the Croatian captain had to go off.

Then just as Croatia thought they had the first-half's job done they gave the ball away in Brazil's half and struggled to get back as Brazil came forward. Kaká shrugged off two defenders to gain the space needed, then caressed the ball into the back of the net; with the inside of his left foot, from outside the area.

Half-time: (1:0).

Croatia tried to get back on level terms early in the second-half; Dado Prso and Ivan Klasnic both firing warning shots at Dida, in the Brazilian goal.

Croatia upped their offensive strategy after the hour, caught Brazil napping a few more times but wasted their chances by firing straight at Dida.

With Brazil happy to run the time down towards the end, a Croatian fan beat the security and ran across the pitch; Croatian fans lit flares and made themselves heard.

With a little over a minute left on the clock, Niko Kranjcar slipped in between two Brazilian defefenders and headed on to the roof of the net.

Final Score:
Brazil 1 - Croatia 0

Teams
Brazil: (Captain Cafu)
1 Nelson Dida; 2 Cafu, 3 Ferreira Lucio, 4 Juan, 6 Roberto Carlos; 5 Emerson, 8 Kaká, 10 Ronaldinho, 11 Jose Ze Roberto; 7 Adriano, 9 Ronaldo.

Croatia: (Captain Nico Kovac/Igor Tudor)
1 Stipe Pletikosa; 3 Josip Simunic, 4 Robert Kovac, 5 Igor Tudor, 7 Dario Simic; 2 Darijo Srna, 8 Marko Babic, 10 Nico Kovac, 19 Niko Kranjcar; 9 Dado Prso, 17 Ivan Klasnic.

Referee:
Benito Archundia (Mexico)