BERLIN - World champions Brazil won the opening match of their 2006 campaign thanks to a superb Kaka strike just before halftime but had to hang on against a determined Croatia for a 1-0 win on Tuesday.
Brazil's victory gave them a record eighth successive World Cup finals victory but it was not one of their greatest displays.
Kaka gave them the lead with a brilliant shot from just outside the box a minute before halftime but Croatia ran again and again at the Brazilian defence in the second half and squandered a number of chances to equalise.
Australia won the other Group F game 3-1 against Japan on Monday.
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