Brazil 2 England 2
Brazil 2 England 2, Maracana Stadium, International Friendly Match, June 2, 2013. A disciplined and well-organised England side earned themselves a highly deserved 2-2 draw against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. Fred and Paulinho scored the goals for The Green and Yellow, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wayne Rooney found the net for the visitors.
Five times World Cup winners Brazil went into the lead twelve minutes after the interval when a deflected long distance effort from midfield playmaker Hernanes hit the crossbar and Fluminsense forward Fred scored from the rebound. Midway through the second half, though, England produced the equaliser as Manchester United marksman Wayne Rooney put the ball on a platter for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had replaced Glen Johnson on the hour mark, whose brilliant volley went past somewhat bewildered Brazil and Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Julio Cesar and into the back of the net. Then, twelve minutes later in the friendly encounter, the omnipresent Rooney magically curled the ball into the top corner of the net from some twenty-five yards out to hand the visiting side the lead. But, with a mere eight minutes left on referee Wilmar Roldan´s watch, Paulinho of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista managed to volley a dangerous cross from Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lucas Moura past Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart and into the net to make it 2-2. England manager Roy Hodgson said after the game at Maracana Stadium that the draw with Luiz Felipe Scolari´s men was a fair result over ninety minutes of play; and he was probably right. Brazil Team: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Filipe Luis, Luiz Gustavo, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Oscar, Paulinho, Fred, Hulk, Neymar. Substitutes: Dante, Rever, Marcelo, Bernard, Fernando, Hernanes, Jadson, Jean, Lucas Moura, Leandro Damiao, Diego Cavalieri, Jefferson. England Team: Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones, James Milner, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Theo Walcott. Substitutes: Jermain Defoe, Joleon Lescott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Rodwell, Ashley Cole, Ben Foster, Alex McCarthy.
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