Brazil's defender David Luiz (L) and Brazil's defender Dani Alves (2L) thank Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura (C) at the end of the Group A football match between Brazil and Croatia at the Corinthians Arena
AFP/Sao Paulo
Brazil's media on Friday saw Lady Luck as having had a hand in the hosts' World Cup win over Croatia with one news outlet even thanking the Japanese referee for awarding a controversial penalty.
Brazil roared back from Marcelo's own goal and crucially took the lead through Neymar's penalty after Japanese official Yuichi Nishimura judged Croatia defender Dejan Lovren had shoved Fred.
That turned the tide as Brazil went on to win the Sao Paulo clash, 3-1, sports daily Lance said.
"The Cup is ours. Neymar is ours. Oscar (who scored the third goal) is ours. Croatia's goal is ours. And the ref is ours too," the paper observed.
"Everything is ours!"
Globo daily also gave Nishimura credit with a headline that said simply: "Arigato! (thank you in Japanese)."
"The Japanese saw a non-existent penalty on Fred," Globo added, while a commentary in the same paper concluded Brazil had achieved "a deserved win by undeserved means."
Folha de Sao Paulo daily also focused on Nishimura's generosity to the Selecao.
"With a non-existent penalty, Brazil wins the opener," the paper said, contradicting assertions in some newspapers in Argentina, the team's bitterest rivals, that Brazilian media had glossed over the penalty award.