World Cup Open Thread - Brazil vs Croatia

Greetings, football fans! No, not that football. The round ball football that we call soccer. The 2014 FIFA World Cup is set to get underway at last, and this is your place to talk all about the first match. There are very few rules here, so even you soccer haters are welcome to partake. Group A gets us underway with just 1 game today - the hosts, Brazil, taking on Croatia. The other 2 teams in this group - Mexico and Cameroon - will go at it tomorrow, along with 2 other games from Group B.

The Teams

Brazil | FIFA Ranking - 3

Croatia | FIFA Ranking - 18

The Game

3 PM (Central) Kickoff | ESPN/ESPN3.com

Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil

Announcers - Ian Darke, Steve McManaman

Helpful links

Brazil vs Croatia - Primer for New Fans

SB Nation's World Cup Preview

World Cup Glossary - The Basics

Croatia Could Prove a Stubborn Opponent for Brazil