Scolari salutes fans, praises oscar

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari praised the passionate home crowd in Sao Paulo for inspiring his players to fight back to win their World Cup opener against Croatia on Thursday.

The tournament favorites were rocked by an early own goal in the Corinthians Arena before recovering to win 3-1 after a hotly disputed penalty converted by Neymar.

Scolari, who masterminded Brazil's triumph at the 2002 World Cup, praised his players for keeping their nerve in the fevered atmosphere and coping with the suffocating pressure, particularly after falling behind.