Brazil's win against Scotland in the opening match was a game that will surely have pleased FIFA. The atmosphere was carnival like, the stadium impressive and soccer's premier competition got off to a three-goal start, far removed from the dreary nature of Germany's 1-0 win against Bolivia four years ago.

I think Brazil can do better than this and that in itself must be a worrying thought for their major tournament rivals. Last night, they were capable rather than flamboyant. They were nearly always in control without creating a hatful of chances, yet they still

showed enough to suggest that this Brazilian team is a good deal better than the one which won in America four years ago.

Without ever really turning it on, they still gave Scotland a tough time. I would say that Scotland's best player yesterday was goalkeeper Jim Leighton and that assessment in itself says much about both Scotland and Brazil.

As for the boy wonder Ronaldo, he lived up to his billing yesterday. He showed flashes of brilliance that in other circumstances will win matches. The way he created a chance out of nothing when confronted by Tommy Boyd and Colin Hendry in the Scottish penalty area midway through the first half was sheer brilliance. Given the way he played yesterday, you can easily see why he is considered the best player in the world.

Nor is Ronaldo the only potential match-winner in this Brazilian side. Guys like Rivaldo, Denilson and even Roberto Carlos are clearly in form and equally clearly quite capable of winning matches single-handedly.

One player I especially liked yesterday was Brazil's right back Cafu, a player I did not know much about. It was no co-incidence that he created Brazil's winner, the 73rd minute own goal from Boyd. Cafu was always willing to make overlapping runs down the right, he was always available and ready to get in behind the Scottish defence and generally he gave the Scots problems in an area they might have expected to defend better.

Captain Dunga, a familiar face from four years ago, continues to do an important job, acting as the link between midfield and defence. He picks up all the loose stuff while he is always in position, covering his defence. He remains a commanding presence.

If I have any negative thoughts about Brazil yesterday, they concern Ronaldo's partner up front, Bebeto. He simply was not on his game and it will be interesting to see if coach Mario Zagallo sticks with him in the next matches against Norway and Morocco. For Brazil, this was a good start. They have taken the pressure off themselves and with this one win have practically put themselves into the next phase. With the pressure off, they can only get better. As for Scotland, their World Cup begins with their game against Norway. The Scots could never really have expected to get anything out of this game and all Craig Brown's planning would have had to programme for a loss to Brazil. For that reason, the Scots will not be too downhearted.

Scotland do have their limitations, though, and they were very obvious yesterday. They are very organised, they get lots of players back behind the ball and they make it hard for opponents to find openings. However, it was noticeable that when they had their best period, either side of half-time, they managed to create little. They really lack class up front.

If there were good things about Scotland's performance, they were Leighton in goal, Colin Hendry in defence and John Collins in midfield. They all did well for their team and remain key figures in this side.

The question of refereeing and the allegedly much tougher interpretation of the rules has figured large in the build-up to these finals. If Spanish referee Jose Garcia-Aranda had not awarded Scotland that first half penalty, then I would have said that all the hype was unjustified.

Apart from the penalty, Garcia's handling was exemplary. However, if penalties are going to be awarded for fouls like the one on Darren Jackson by Cesar Sampaio, then we are going to see some pretty strange decisions over the next four weeks. In my book, the Brazilian's tackle was no foul.

However, that is only a minor gripe on a day that saw the World Cup off to a positive start. Let's hope it continues this way.

(In an interview with Paddy Agnew)