And with that, I think I’m done. My name’s been Joey Lynch and it’s been a great pleasure to have your company throughout tonight’s minute-by-minute coverage of Australia’s 2-1 loss to Brazil.

If you’re a Matildas fans, you’ll inevitably be down about these back-to-back losses and hoping for a bounce-back against Taiwan in the week ahead but geez, if you’re a football fan, you’ve got to be excited about some of the talent coming through this Brazilian team. Three years out from a home World Cup and they’re already looking as if they’re getting ready to make some noise.

And remember, if you’ve enjoyed watching the Matildas in action tonight – or at any point in recent years – you can catch some of Australian football’s best talent and up-and-coming prospects by getting along to or watching the A-League Women and even, when it starts in the new year, your local NPLW competition.

And now it’s the turn of caretaker coach Tom Sermanni to talk about the game with Network Ten, asked first about the difference between his outfit and Brazil.

“The difference is, first and foremost, the referee gave a couple of early yellow cards, so that settled the game down a little bit. Outside of that, I think it was a very similar kind of contest. Again, they are a very high press and high tempo team. And I thought we, in general, to look over the 90 minutes, I think we coped with that a little bit better than we did the other night. The objective tonight was to finish strongly, and I thought the subs that we brought on made a big impact that we did.”

Yet again, however, Brazil proved more clinical than the Matildas, something the coach reflected on.

“There was a couple of times where we were in great positions and had we just executed the pass better or made a better decision we’d have been in Because, the downfall of the way Brazil plays that, if you get out of the pressure, there are real opportunities to hurt them. And we got into positions to do that and just took the wrong options sometimes, or the pass just wasn’t quite up to what it needed to be.”

Tameka Yallop reflecting on tonight’s game on Network Ten:

“We do want to play Top 10 teams. That’s what we wanted to, here on home soil as well. Disappointed we couldn’t a the result but I think we put out a better performance tonight.

“We obviously looked at [Thursday’s] performance, and I think there were some changes that we made. You saw that in the formation that we came out with. I think it was frustrating for us because we did create a lot of opportunities. And there was possibly a few, almost one-on-one situations that if the play had of run on, we might have got a few chances. So I think we did much better today, creating those 100% chances then we did in the last game.”

And on the rising talent in the Brazilian side.

“I think they’ve got a whole squad of players, honestly. I think they have variety in their players as well. You’ve got a player that can come into the six [role], into the midfield and then also into the back line. So honestly, I think they’ve got a whole team of Marta’s coming through.”

Emily van Egmond speaking to Network 10:

“They got the better of us on set pieces, something we have to get better at. But I thought towards the end, the girls put in a great shift, and probably unlucky not to come up with an equalizer.”

90+7 Mins: We’re entering last roll of the dice areas now, the frustration evident on Gielnik as she has a forthright exchange with Bruninha after another attack can’t find an equaliser.

90+5 Mins: More desperate efforts to find an equaliser as they launch more balls into the box. This time, though, Brazil are able to grab the ball and get it up the other end, where forces Micah into another save. The visitors now have a corner which is promptly wasted.

90+2 Mins: The Energizer Bunny has posters of Ellie Carpenter on its wall … that’s good, I’m going to Tweet/BlueSky that.

The fullback gets forward yet again and wins her side a corner with her hustle. It falls to Raso for a shot at the back post but as with Dudinha looming, she drags it wide.

90+1 Mins: Brazil burst forward in transition and finds space in behind … only for the flag to go up to indicate she was offside when the pass to her was played.

90 Mins: Increasing desperation from the Matildas as they try to find an equaliser. Brazil’s attacking shift feels a bit of a memory now as they clear the ball away and there’s no attacker in the vicinity to pressure Micah as she collects the ball near the halfway line.

89 Mins: Kennedy pulls rank to take the free kick. She bends it towards goal but Lorena has the time to take a step to her right and punch it over the bar.

88 Mins: The Matildas get things going with a throw in, with Raso – don’t tell her defeats in friendlies don’t matter, either – winning a corner.

That set piece comes to nothing but soon afterwards the Matildas get forward and Galic wins a free kick just on the edge of the penalty area.

87 Mins: Results don’t matter in friendlies? Don’t tell that to Carpenter, who is having a word with the referee to make sure all of the time lost to Lorena’s treatment is to be added on.

85 Mins: Gielnik forces a strong save from Lorena after she turns Haas and lashes a shot towards the top corner. Replays showed it looked to be going wide but the keeper couldn’t take that chance and forced it out for a corner.

Lorena falls awkwardly on her left shoulder after she punches away the corner – her arms getting bent up awkwardly as she falls on it – and requires treatment.

83 Mins: Brazil’s admirable attacking intent forces a turnover and the ball is worked to Nycole on the right, only for Kennedy to twice close down her crosses.

Australia quickly advances back in the other direction only for Gielnik to have her shot charged down.

81 Mins: There’s been a few more changes for Brazil, with Bruninha coming on for Portilho, Fe Palermo for Kaká, and Laís Estevam replacing Lauren.

This has been accompanied by a switch to a more attacking formation, too, as the visitors look for a third that would put this game to bed.

79 Mins: Carpenter is running her guts out – one wonders what Joe Montemurro is thinking, given that Lyon play Reims on Friday evening – again getting down the right and threatening the Brazilian backline.

76 Mins: The official crowd on the Gold Coast is 25,297, beating out the 24,644 that watched the Socceroos lose to Bahrain at this venue a few months ago.

It’s the 16th consecutive home sell-out for this side.

75 Mins: Nycole plays the ball out to Duda, who in turn tries to slide a pass through to Gomes on the left but there’s just to much mustard on it and it goes out for a goal kick.

75 Mins: Galic plays the ball out to Carpenter on the right, who in turn combines with Raso as the Matildas get forward.

After Kennedy comes up to get a bit of the action, too, the Spurs attacker sends in a cross that bounces out to Yallop but before she can get a shot off, Nycole comes up behind her like a librarian and pokes the ball away.

71 Mins: Galic shoots from the top of the box but it’s a comfortable enough save for Lorena.

Lauren went down injured before the shot came in and Brazil aren’t happy play was allowed to continue.

Both sets of players head to the dugout for a drink and further instruction as the defender receives treatment.

69 Mins: A reminder of the danger of Brazil. Another dangerous looking switch from the visitors gets the ball to Adriana on the right. Freier gets back to help the defence and puts it out for a corner.

Substitute Dudinha gets her first shot of the game off that set piece after Brazil work the ball to her outside the penalty area but her long-range effort is high.

66 Mins: Haas pretty much hip checks Freier from behind, giving away a free kick. Nominally, she’s signed to Internacional but after this series maybe the Broncos or Titans might be interested; we’ve already seen Sheridan Gallagher make the football – league – football jump, after all!

The free kick is taken quickly and springs Raso into a dangerous area of space on the right but her attempt to cut the ball back from the byline is closed down.

63 Mins: Carpenter charges straight down the middle of the park before laying it off for Raso on the right. She keeps the ball low in search of Gielnik but the ball is cleared away by Brazi.

The visitors take the ball up the other end quickly but Grant wins a free kick from Portilho to end the danger.

62 Mins: Brazil make a couple of changes as Dudinha replaces Gio and Nycole Raysla replaces the dangerous – just four games into her international career and she’s properly established that adjective – Gutierres.

60 Mins: Charli Grant has joined Gielnik and Galic as a waiting substitute and now replaces Nevin. The Melbourne Victory attacker replaces a fellow A-League Women striker in Heyman and Galic has replaced van Egmond.

Raso stays out there … and immediately has a heavy collision with Duda.

59 Mins: Freier threatens to burst down the left flank but Kaka gets across to lay in a challenge and shuts down the danger, winning a throw in for her side.

57 Mins: The Matildas have a corner! Nevin swings it just beyond the penalty area but the Australians can’t get a strong head on it. Nonetheless, they retain and recycle possession across the backline.

Raso was flattened behind play before the corner, too, and looked a bit sore. Her Spurs have Everton on Sunday and with Emily Gielnik and Daniela Galic warming up, she might soon be coming off.

55 Mins: Duda gives away a free kick in a dangerous area after bringing down Yallop. The Brazilian midfielder and her dugout are none too pleased about it but Kennedy’s resulting free kick goes straight into the wall.

54 Mins: Australia break quickly in transition down the right through Carpenter, their first real attack of the half.

It’s one that ends in disappointment, though, as van Egmond sends a wayward pass towards her right back that goes out for a Brazilian throw-in and brings the threat to a close.

53 Mins: Brazil twice find space on the right flank to drive low crosses into the box but twice the Matildas clear, the latter time for a corner.

Haas meets Angelina’s resulting delivery with an acrobatic looking attempt but it bounces wide.

52 Mins: It’s currently 24 degrees on the Gold Coast but the humidity is sitting at 94%. How this game is still going as quickly as it is? That’s beyond me.

50 Mins: Another corner, again sent short to Gutierres but this time the Matildas clear it before she can pick out a teammate.

49 Mins: Brazil swings in their eighth corner of the game – Australia has had none – but it comes to nothing.

After Brazil keeps the ball in their attacking third, Prior blocks an attempted cross by Duda out for a throw-in.

48 Mins: Not the type of first impression that Prior will have wanted to make, the ball is slid past her and springs Gio into space. Fortunately for the debutant, the resulting shot goes high over the bar.

46 Mins: We are back underway on the Gold Coast, with Brazil leading the Matildas two goals to one.

Confirmation of those changes, with Foord replaced by Freier and Prior coming on for Hunt.

Looks like some changes are coming for the Matildas.

After showing some late flashes on Thursday – albeit after Brazil had the game won – Sharn Freier will be coming on for Caitlin Foord, while Tash Prior is entering the game and, in doing so, becomes Matilda #231.

Here’s the goal that saw the Matildas halve the deficit in the shadow of the half-time break.

45+5: Some silly bugger in the crowd with a whistle has given it their own half-time whistle, fooling the ground announcer into announcing the break while the action is still happening.

That has to be one of my least favourite gags that has popped up in modern football.

45+4 Mins: Foord goes on a windy run but can’t find an angle towards goal and instead opts to play it to Raso, who has her cross charged down.

The Matildas keep the ball in their attacking third, however, and Raso springs Carpenter into space on the right side of the penalty area. Her cross, though, is closed down too.

45+2 Mins: As she does so well, Carpenter gets forward, twists and turns and wins a free kick on the right flank. Cooney-Cross fires the free kick towards deep past the back post and Raso can’t keep her attempt to send the ball back into the danger zone in.

38 Mins: Micah is the only reason this isn’t 2-0. Gutierres is played into space all on her own behind the Matildas’ backline and lashes a shot towards the near-post but the Liverpool keeper is just able to keep it out.

34 Mins: Brazil again come very close to a second. And again it’s Adriana. She and Portilho play a delightful one-two atop the box, the latter backheeling it back into her path, before Adriana places a shot just across the face of goal – Gutierres desperate attempt to slide in at the far post and turn it in just coming up short.

32 Mins: A threat of two goals in quick succession as a corner falls to Adriana at the back of a large pack of players, with the attacker taking a touch before lashing an effort over the bar.

28 Mins: A free kick is swung into the box by Brazil and met with a glancing header from Duda, one that bounces just wide of Micah’s near post.

27 Mins: This game is absolutely frantic at the moment, the ball pinging from one end to another like it’s a game of basketball – only both teams are the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns.

25 Mins: The ball falls to Adriana just inside the Matildas’ penalty area on the right but she can’t get a shot away before she’s closed down and the ball is cleared away by Nevin.

24 Mins: Brazil’s nominal third-choice goalkeeper Cláudia is doing some warm-ups and surveying the scene after Lorena went down. Seems whatever forced Honegger off in Brisbane won’t allow her to be called upon on the Gold Coast.

23 Mins: Brazil clear the initial free kick but the Matildas keep the pressure on, Raso and Foord both having attempts on goal – the latter’s attempt going out for a goal kick.

22 Mins: The Matildas are putting together a period of sustained pressure, here. Carpenter forces a strong save after she lashes in a shot from an angle.

The wingback collects the rebound and finds Cooney-Cross, who is brought down for a free kick in a dangerous area on the right.

21 Mins: Foord with a super ball to spring Yallop into the area, with the resulting left-footed effort forcing a save from Lorena at her near post.

20 Mins: We’ve got out first stoppage of the game as Lorena goes down requiring treatment. Much to the frustration of the crowd, we saw plenty of this in Brisbane, with Honegger eventually being forced off.

Both sides take advantage of the break to re-hydrate and consult with their dugouts.

18 Mins: Some better play by the Australians as they work the ball around before Nevin whips in a lethal looking ball from the left. Lorena can only parry it away as it bounces in front of her and Duda is able to boot it clear just before Raso can get to it.

17 Mins: Lauren is all over the back of Raso as the attacker tries to carry the ball into Brazil’s half to an extent that I can’t be certain she wasn’t attempting to get a piggyback ride.

She becomes the second Brazilian to see yellow.

15 Mins: Brazil still buzzing around the Australian penalty area, Kaka heading an effort straight at Micah after a cross in from the left. Pressure continues to build on the hosts.

14 Mins: van Egmond has her pocket picked in the midfield by Giovana, who carries the ball forward before sliding it across for Portilho. She lashes in a shot toward the near post that Micah puts out for a corner.

12 Mins: Foord and Adriana battle for the ball on Brazil’s attacking right flank, with the former eventually blocking the latter’s attempted cross for a corner.

The dangerous Adriana fires on goal from range on the third phase of that corner but she can’t get it on target.

10 Mins: Signs of life for the Matildas and they work the ball around the area and try to lock it in their attacking half.

The move ends with Hayley Raso lashing a long-range shot in on goal that’s claimed by Lorena.

9 Mins: van Egmond’s long clearance falls to Foord, who almost has her shirt ripped off by Kaka as she tries to get forward.

After the treatment she copped in Brisbane, Foord shoves her rival off her to the ground as the whistle is blown and claps when a yellow card is produced for the Brazilian.

That early caution should serve as a tone-setter. Pull that kind of thing and you’re one bad challenge away from being dismissed.

8 Mins: Kennedy comes up nursing her right ankle after being forced to chase down a ball in behind. Something to keep an eye on.

6 Mins: Australia get the ball forward and while Yallop can’t turn forward, she wins a throw-in.

Brazil soon win the ball back though, Gabi Portilho leaving Hunt in her wake as she streaks down the right. Her cross, however, can’t find a teammate.

4 Mins: The Matildas are being put under some significant pressure early on as Angelina lashes a first time effort just wide of the goal. Micah probably had it covered but as former Matilda Grace Gill says on the coverage “early warning signs”.

2 Mins: Aline Gomes charges down the left flank and puts a cross in but Australia are able to scramble it clear.

Brazil keep the ball in Australia’s half and moments later the ball sits up for Amanda Gutierres to lash a shot at goal, one Micah is forced to parry away. Early pressure on the Matildas.

1 Min: A poor throw-in by Brazil gives Australia an early turnover in their foes half but they can’t make anything from it.

The anthems have been sung and the action is imminent.

Before we get to that, however, Ellie Carpenter will be presented with her trophy as the first-ever AFC Women’s International Footballer of the Year – a gong for internationally-based players – just before kick off.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson will present her with the trophy. He’s a Queenslander, too, played for the Brisbane Strikers and everything. One wonders if that will come up on the broadcast.

The anthems are being and it’s Brazil’s that is up first; Francisco Manuel da Silva absolutely knew how to write a tune.

The A-League Women has opted to play through this international window but, given the host of domestic-based players that have been called up by Tom Sermanni – many of whom will join the squad and shape as likely contributors against Taiwan – the league has split its round five across two weekends – two games taking place yesterday and another four to come next week.

In the first of the two games yesterday, Melbourne City looked much more comfortable than the 2-0 score line suggested as they eased to a win over Western Sydney Wanderers, while the Central Coast Mariners came-from-behind to defeat Canberra United and stay undefeated – 16-year-old Tiana Fuller scoring with her first touch in professional football to spark the comeback.

It’s not just Australia and Brazil in action this week, of course, with plenty of other games taking place across the international window.

Goals from Eugénie Le Sommer and Amel Majri helped France beat Nigeria 2-1 at the Stade Raymond Kopa overnight, Spain and Germany recorded convincing wins over South Korea and Switzerland, and Argentina beat Colombia on penalties.

The marquee match of the window took place at Wembley, where England and the United States played out a 0-0 draw in front of 78,346 fans.

🚨Late change to the starting XI claxon🚨

And it’s a big change, too. Steph Catley has been withdrawn from the XI and is being replaced by Courtney Nevin, with Emily van Egmond now set to captain the side in her 151st game.

Before Arsenal fans go into a panic – well, too much of a panic, at least – the Matildas are calling it a precautionary measure after she felt tightness in her lower leg during the pre-match warm-up.

The email inbox has been hit up by James Paraskevas, who is in a confident mood as Australia prepare to take on the Olympic silver medallists.

“It was expected Brazil would win the first game. Our players are based on Europe/USA and playing more and more minutes these days. The Brazilians got their contacts in for a gig in Europe or the A League Women. I would say most are still playing in Brazil so these games are more important to them than Australia.

All player will be recovered tonight for Australia and the Matildas will win the true test tonight 3-0. Easy.

Goals to Heyman, Raso and Van Edmond.”

After Thursday was understandably all about Clare Polkinghorne, tonight will see Emily van Egmond honoured for reaching 150 caps in that game, just the fourth Australian – man or woman – to play that many senior internationals.

In starting tonight, she will make her 151st appearance moving into equal second with Cheryl Salisbury on the all time caps list for an Australian footballer

Tameka Yallop is interviewed on the Network 10 coverage, with the Brisbane local talking about how special it is to be playing on the Gold Coast.

Steph Catley is almost certain to be headed back to Arsenal after tonight’s game – they’ve got a game against Aston Villa next Sunday – but I wonder if the Melbourne local would have expressed similar sentiment about playing in Geelong next week.

One of the most notable features of Thursday evening’s clash was the physicality that the Brazilians brought to the contest – Tom Sermanni is fielding questions about it on Network Ten’s pre-game coverage.

In combination with an intense press that brought a level of intensity all its own in the humid conditions, As Canarinhas committed 17 fouls – and probably getting away with another few that easily could have been called – and had Vitória Calhau sent off late after she picked up a second yellow card.

It was an approach that frustrated Matildas’ players, fans, and Sermanni, the latter hopeful that the referees adopt a stricter approach in this evening’s game but, at the same time, insisting that his side are ready to match their foe’s physicality.

“I think you have to fight fire with fire. The challenge … is that Brazil have adopted a very different style of football to what we expect Brazil to play and a different style to what most of the top teams play.

“The reality is that you need to be able to match that and to adjust to play effectively against that. You have got to balance that out by looking at where the opportunities are to hurt them. A lot of that is to play a similar kind of game to them when we get the ball forward early and get one-on-one match-ups with their defenders.”

As you might have guessed from her being named on the bench, while there were a few reports circulating that the Brisbane game was set to be the last of her career, that 3-1 loss was Clare Polkinghorne’s send-off game – not her final goodbye.

Both the defender and caretaker coach Tom Sermanni were quick to clear up post-game that she would remain available for selection in this game as well as in the two games against Taiwan that will follow in Victoria next week. Then, she will hang up her legendary boots.

To some observers, Australia’s pace of change isn’t quick enough. Since that famous victory over France in Brisbane the Matildas have mostly stuttered, underlined by their group stage Olympics exit. Ten of the 11 players who started on Thursday were veterans of both last year’s World Cup squad and the group who went to Paris.

Here’s Jack Snape’s deeper look at that Lang Park clash and the Matildas time warp.