World Cup: 3 things you might have missed
Biggest party of 2014 kicks off
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicked off on Thursday, and if you were stuck at work or on your afternoon commute, here are three things you might have missed:
1. J-Lo sings at the opening ceremony
First she wasn't, then she was. Jennifer Lopez wouldn't say no to the World Cup, right? Of course not. J-Lo delighted the crowd, which included broccoli, lettuce and parts of the rain forest.
2. Brazil scores 4 times. But...
The first goal of the tournament was an own goal by Marcelo, the first time in World Cup history that Brazilian player put the ball into the back of his own net, giving Croatia an early 1-0 lead. And, nearly sending an entire nation into a state of panic.
But Neymar came to the rescue. He scored Brazil's first two markers, including a successful penalty kick in the 71st minute. Oscar then capped things off with an insurance goal.
3. Protests in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
As expected, there were demonstrations prior to the opening match, but it didn't disrupt the game or the festivities. Neither did concerns over stadium readiness in Sao Paulo.
There are still issues, however, in Manaus, where England is set to take on Italy on Saturday. The pitch in the Amazon venue has dead grass all over the place.