WUHAN, China (AP) -Brazil made it look like playground keep-away.
Marta scored two goals in the second half to lead Brazil to a 5-0 win past a gritty but overmatched New Zealand on Wednesday in the opening game of Group D.
The game between group favorites Brazil and overwhelming underdogs New Zealand was lopsided, with Brazil firing 26 shots to New Zealand's two. Daniela, Cristiane and Renata Costa also scored for the South Americans.
The Kiwi roster featured six teenagers, including four who were in the starting lineup. But the team managed to disrupt the Brazilians' flow for much of the game with physical play and shut down repeated scoring opportunities.
"At the beginning of the match the situation was a little bit complex so I asked my players to be more aggressive, especially we strengthened our flanks and asked our strikers to be more aggressive," Brazil coach Jorge Barcellos said.
With FIFA player of the year Marta marked most of the game by at least one New Zealand player, Brazil's offensive duties fell to Daniela and Cristiane.
"Brazil is not only about Marta," Barcellos said. "We have many other players and they are here to show their talent."
Daniela scored from about 25 meters (yards), sending a high shot past the fingertips of leaping goalkeeper Jenny Bindon in the 10th minute. Cristiane added another in the 54th, coolly firing a left-footed shot past three hapless defenders. Renata Costa hit a volley from 35 meters (yards) in the 86th.
With the New Zealand defenders tiring toward the end, Marta scored in the 73rd minute. Alone, she angled a low shot from the corner of the six-yard box into the back corner of the net. She added a left-footed goal in second-half injury time.
The Brazilian players drew roars from the crowd of 33,500 for their trademark footwork and no-look passes. The ball rarely left New Zealand's half of the field. When the Kiwis were able to push forward, their players were too far back to create any kind of scoring threat.
New Zealand's 17-year-old Ria Percival was impressive in her World Cup debut, doggedly marking opponents on defense and carrying the ball up the side in the Kiwis' rare offensive spurts.
No. 23-ranked New Zealand is back in the World Cup after a 16-year absence. The Kiwis remain winless in World Cup games. In 1991 they bowed out after three opening round losses with only a goal against China saving them from consecutive shutouts.
"I'm really sad to concede the late goals. It really made the scoreline look like something it wasn't," New Zealand coach John Herdman said. "The New Zealand team lived with the Brazilians for long periods in that game."
