Brazil recovered from a fifth-minute own goal from Wesely to beat Spain 2-1 in a Group D encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here on Saturday.
After a shaky start, Brazil overwhelmed its opponents, whose grit wilted in the humid Kochi weather. The uneven turf also compounded the worries of the team.
After falling behind, Brazil struck twice in the first half through Lincoln (25) and Paulinho (46), and then kept the Spaniards in check in the second half to earn full points.
In another match, Niger defeated North Korea by a solitary goal. Salim Abdourahmane scored the match-winner in the 59th minute.
The Spainards provided an electric start to the contest, creating a chance in the fourth minute when Ferran Torres sent Abel Ruiz clear with a through ball.
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But Brazilian goalkeeper Gabriel Brazo cleared the ball for a corner to avert the danger. However, the Brazilian defence was caught napping in the very minute when a Torres pass from the right came to an unmarked Mohammed Moukhliss, whose shot was deflected into the goal by a desperate Wesely.
The Brazilians regrouped in the midfield, holding possession for longer and frustrating their opponent. The hard-working Paulinho played the key role in Brazil gaining the upper hand in the midfield.
Brazil equalised in the 25th minute when Lincoln capitalised on an erroneous clearing by Diego Pampin and scored from close. Brazil continued to press hard and a chipped ball from Marcos Antonio sent Paulinho clear, and striker buried the ball into the top corner of the net to increase the lead.
The match between World Cup debutant Niger and North Korea turned out to be a cagey affair. North Korea adopted a safety-first strategy and attacked through counters. Though Niger showed more aggression, it was North Korea which created the best chances in the first half.
A booming 35-yard drive off a loose ball from Min Yun in the 19th minute beat the goalkeeper but the ball rebounded off the bar, and in the 35th minute a set piece move off a corner-kick nearly hoodwinked the Niger defence.
However, in the second half the Koreans faded out against Niger’s offensive game. Habibou Sofiane managed to find an unmarked Abdourahmane, who shot home from close.
The results: Brazil 2 (Lincoln 25 Paulinho 45) bt Spain (Wesley 5-og); DPR Korea 0 lost to Niger 1 (Salim 59).
