Samba style: Brazilian defender Maicon fires in his extraordinary openerIt was worth the wait. Maybe not through every dull, dismal anticlimax of a match this World Cup has produced, but certainly worth the wait through a freezing Johannesburg night for Brazil to announce their arrival at the tournament like a perfect sunbeam.
Elano played the ball to Maicon and the flying full back carried it almost to the byline, a seemingly impossible angle before sensing in that instant that Ri Myong-guk, the North Korean goalkeeper, had left a sliver of space between himself and the near post.
If Maicon could only impose his will on that stupid ball. He did. He commanded the twin curses of this World Cup because at that moment, as the stupid ball (henceforth known as TSB) flew into the net, for a second the stupid horns stopped, too, and that most human of noises was heard. A genuine cheer of wonder and appreciation.
Welcome Brazil, it said. Welcome football. We've been expecting you for so, so long. Maicon, responding to the occasion, appeared almost tearful.
It is 32 years since Brazil last failed to score in a group game at the World Cup - against Spain in 1978 - but with the first half ending goalless and 10 minutes of the second half passed in fruitless exertion some were beginning to fear the worst.
Skills to thrill: Robinho's dazzles the crowd to put the ball through North Korea defender Cha Jong-Hyok's legsHaving watched Portugal and the Ivory Coast grind to a stalemate yesterday afternoon, many were despairing of when this tournament would come to life.
TSB was taking much of the blame - rightly - and if the Brazilians, nature's born footballers, could not play with it, the general consensus was that we may as well pack up and go home.
So it was rather disconcerting when Brazil's first three shots of the game were woeful, wayward efforts, incapable of threatening goalkeeper Ri.
More worrying still that the culprits were Elano, Robinho and Michel Bastos, all known to possess a fine eye for the target. Maybe the first two thought they were back in Manchester - in January.It was certainly the weather for it.
One of the problems with TSB is that it seems impossible to judge the weight of it.
Crosses travel too far, as happened when Maicon, arguably now the finest right back in the world, sent a first-half effort sailing aimlessly across the area. By the time Kaka misdirected a straightforward crossfield pass to Elano into touch moments later, alarm bells were beginning to sound.
Anyone who continues to doubt Jose Mourinho's qualities as a coach, though, only has to look at the transformation in Maicon under his stewardship at Inter Milan. A good full back, he was nevertheless part of those Inter teams that had previously looked so ineffectual in Europe.
Seventh heaven: Elano celebrates after adding a second for BrazilUnder Mourinho this season, however, he has blossomed into an impressive defender with brilliant attacking attributes. Long before his goal, he was Brazil's greatest threat going forward. It was Maicon's shot that was blocked in the 12th minute, before Elano followed in to force a save, Maicon who demanded most of Ri with a run in from the right and a powerful finish 15 minutes later.
All the time the Brazilians seemed to be getting closer. A long-range effort from Michel Bastos hit the top netting. It looked a matter of time, yet as the minutes passed so the tension on the field grew.
Not off the field because the dreaded vuvuzelas destroy every nuance of emotion, but the Brazilians certainly would not have been expecting this level of resistance.
Pak Chol-jin fouled Kaka and Brazil were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area, but Bastos missed again. Then Maicon tamed TSB and the game changed.
A second seemed inevitable and it came from Brazil, via Manchester. Robinho, Brazil's best forward and as far removed from his Manchester City form as Copacabana beach is from a fortnight in Cleethorpes, played a superb pass in behind lef t back Ri Kwang-chon for Elano, who finished sweetly first time. By now Brazil had North Korea in retreat; or so it appeared.
One to remember: Ji Yun-Nam fires a stunning late consolation goal for North KoreaSo what are we to make of the tournament's most reclusive competitors?
Taking levels of secrecy, inscrutability, hell, plain lunacy to new heights, the North Koreans left four of their players out. Not out of the team, either, out of the squad, the match, the whole shebang.
Maybe they had upset the Dear Leader. Maybe they had upset Dear Abby. Maybe they had been sent on a labour beautification course. With this lot, frankly, who knows? Jong Tae-se (left), the striker, began sobbing during the national anthem, which sounded like it was being played on a 30-year-old Walkman provided by the coach, Kim Jong-hun. Perhaps Jong was missing his absent team-mates.
Perhaps he had been told he was next if he didn't find a way past Julio Cesar. His first touch certainly bore the hallmarks of a man under pressure.
Those who expected the axis of feeble, however, were disappointed. North Korea were not expansive and one imagines five defenders and three defence-minded midfielders will be a staple of Kim's thinking no matter who they play, but they ran hard, scrapped hard and even scored, too late fortunately, although the goal by Ji Yun-nam was well taken.
Man of the moment: An almost stunned Ji Yun-nam (centre) is congratulated by his team-matesIt could even have been an equaliser, North Korea having carved out an opening as welcoming as any that had fallen the Brazilians' way in the 31st minute. It went to left back Ri, in a surprisingly advanced position on the edge of the area, but he seemed overwhelmed by the moment and his shot was weak and wide.
Somewhere, the Dear Leader frowned; which, like Brazil at their best, always brings a smile on a cold night.
source: dailymail