Read Suzy Wrack's match report
Thanks for reading and for your emails. Stay tuned for Suzy Wrack’s match report. Hopefully our video team gets something up on that howler, so you can enjoy it in all its pixelated glory. Bye!
Looking forward to what spin Neville is going to try and put on this. I think if he was giving a honest assessment in the dressing room, he would be tearing into his players. I expect his words to the media will be quite different, no doubt ‘taking the positives’.
Full-time: Portugal 0-1 England
England end their winless run, thanks to one of the worst goalkeeping errors I’ve ever seen. Portugal were so unlucky not to snatch a draw at the death. It was a pretty turgid performance from England.
Portugal hit the bar!
90+4 min: Neto curls her effort over the wall, it hits the underside of the bar, bounces down, looks as though it is going to hit Roebuck on the back and roll into the net, but somehow rolls up her torso and into her arms, right on the goal-line! How did that not go in?!
90+3 min: Hang on! A couple of untidy fouls give Portugal a brilliant position right on the edge of England’s box! Portugal have a chance to snatch a draw here! Neto stands over it ....
90+2 min: It’s been a disappointing performance, but Neville will just be delighted to end that winless run.
90 min: Two minutes added on here.
Neville hands an England debut to Lauren Hemp
87 min: The 19-year-old comes on for Mead, and almost instantly bursts past her marker on the right wing, curling her shot into the side netting. She is frighteningly quick.
85 min: Portugal are now opting for a high press and it’s playing into England’s hands as Houghton and Williamson simply play through them.
84 min: Portugal make two more changes: Ferreira Gomes and Ferreira Pinto come on for Vanessa Marques and Jessica Silva.
83 min: “Given you added a Cranberries video to a post about a Delores, couldn’t you have done a Duran Duran video along with the update on Taylor? (Note that I didn’t suggest Swift)“ asks Peter Oh.
Go on then.
81 min: Neville will be happy to just break the run of winless games, but that goal is really such a terrible way to win. In truth, England should be battering teams like Portugal. It goes to show how lacking in confidence England are at the moment.
78 min: Jessica Silva wins a soft free-kick on the edge of England’s area, much to Parris’s annoyance. This is actually an excellent chance for Portugal, but the delivery lands square on Greenwood’s head and away.
76 min: And so it proves. Portugal are almost immediately opened up, with Mead flashing a shot wide. Taylor nearly turned that ball in, but she was standing in an offside position.
74 min: Portugal make a change: Pires Neto, Portugal’s most capped player here and arguably their most creative, comes on for Ana Borges. Portugal are going to change their shape, the game will probably become a lot more open from hereon in.
Updated
GOAL! Portugal 0-1 England (Mead 72)
This is one of the worst goalkeeper howlers you are ever likely to see. Such a shame, because Morais has been superb all night, but inexplicably drops a looping cross at the near post. The ball simply rolls across the goalline, and Mead is there to stab it into the net from all of three centimetres out.
Updated
69 min: England suddenly look like a different team with Taylor up front. She is comfortable leading the line by herself and gets another header on target, again saved by Morais.
67 min: How are England not ahead?! Taylor so nearly makes an immediate impact, latching onto a wonderful slide-rule pass. Once again Morais comes out bravely to foil the substitute, but the ball squirms loose and Nobbs has a chance to tuck away the rebound ... a quite magnificent block from Carole Costa keeps the scores goalless. Taylor actually could have scored from a third chance in that phase of play but tamely heads the ball wide after Mead crossed. Portugal hanging on here.
65 min: England make a double change in response: Taylor and Nobbs come on for England and Daly. I think we’ll see Bronze go to right back now, as England reshuffle their midfield.
63 min: Thank god, a substitution. Portugal’s Caroline Mendes comes off for the suspiciously English sounds Alexandra Norton, who plays as an attacking midfielder for Inter Milan.
60 min: Borges is clipped by Mead. The former goes down hard, clutching her knee. Mead laughs as the theatrics, as a corner of Portugal supporters get mildly annoyed.
55 min: Beth Mead is not playing right wing, swapping with Parris. I hope Neville has something else up his sleeve. Taylor in particular must be itching to get off the bench.
53 min: It’s a very bitty game, as Carole Costa has two of three bites of Bronze in midfield. We badly need a goal.
51 min: Portugal’s captain, Delores Silva, goes into the book for a cynical tug on Mead as England were counter-attacking. A brilliant foul to give away, England had numbers forward there. Pep would be proud of that one.
49 min: Greenwood there, with a good old scouse “eff off” after a throw goes against England. You love to see it.
47 min: Staniforth, arguably England’s best player in the first half, is down. It’s unclear if that is a contact injury - she was caught late by Monica Mendes - or if she’s pulled her hamstring.
England are back out early. Bronze and Houghton are leading the huddle. There are a LOT of words being exchanged. England look up for it. Portugal saunter out to take their place.
David Squires, ladies and gentlemen.
Half-time reading:
Updated
Half-time: Portugal 0-0 England
Phil Neville will want to see more in the second half. Portugal will be happy with their work, they have frustrated England.
45+1 min: Chance for England! Beth England finds some room on the left-hand side of the box, but another heavy touch means she can’t get a shot off on her own. Instead, she digs out a decent cross, which is well cleared by Mendes at the back post! She got a crucial touch to deny Parris!
45 min: In truth, this has been a poor end to the half for England. They’ve only created two major chances since kick-off. One minute added on for injury time.
43 min: Penalty shout for England! Bronze is absolutely adamant that she was held back by Rebelo - replays show that she was - but the ball was probably just out of her control. You can see why it wasn’t given, even if Portugal were taking a chance there.
41 min: Somebody that has taken her chance to impress is Lucy Staniforth. She’s linking the play really nicely, breaking the lines and creating little triangles in the middle of the pitch, where Fidalgo and Pinto are snapping at her heels.
39 min: Oooooooo, lovely skill from Jessica Silva, who gets away from both Greenwood and Bronze with a Zidane roulette turn. One for the highlights reel, that one, to leave the England pair looking a little bit stupid.
37 min: Beth England is having a poor half. She’s been isolated going forward and has not held the ball up well at all. Would not be surprised to see her hooked at half-time. A real shame on her first start for England.
35 min: Good battle between Greenwood and Borges on Portugal’s right flank. Both are fierce tacklers, which Borges showed during her time with Chelsea a few years ago.
Updated
32 min: Mead has been England’s biggest threat down the left, and the Arsenal winger so nearly opens the scoring. Once again, a magnificent diagonal pass from Houghton catches Portugal cold. Mead drives towards the byline, checks and floats a cross to the back post, which just falls the wrong side of the post, and just beyond Parris, who was sprinting in to try and tap it into the net.
30 min: Half an hour gone. Phil Neville is looking tense in his waistcoat.
28 min: A lucky rebound flicks off Walsh and so nearly deflects through to Jessica Silva, but a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Daly clears England’s lines. So nearly calamitous for England.
26 min: Vanessa Marques does well to tidy up after an England attack breaks down on the edge of Portugal’s box, spreading the ball wide to Ana Borges, but it’s a poor delivery into the box, which is easily claimed by Roebuck.
23 min: Better from England, who are starting to move it a bit quicker. Bronze gets a shot off at goal, but Morais gathers easily.
20 min: Parris goes down in a heap after coming off second best with a aerial duel with Jessica Silva. A quick squeeze of the magic sponge and she’s OK to continue.
18 min: England have had all the possession. Interesting that Leah Williamson isn’t playing in midfield today. Neville has talked about trying to get her into midfield in recent days. What it does mean is that England have two cracking passers of the ball at centre-back, with Houghton also there.
16 min: A nasty, late challenge on Staniforth leaves Houghton with a free-kick opportunity 25 yards from goal. She so often buries these in the WSL, but this time it’s a tame effort into the wall, hastily assembled by Ana Borges.
14 min: Chance for England (and England)! A wonderful move starts with Houghton stepping out of defence with the ball, beating a defender and firing a perfect ball into Staniforth, who steps over it. Mead is free on the left and drives into the area, flashing her cross shot across goal. England sticks out a toe, but can’t connect. Anything on that, and that’s a goal.
12 min: Speaking of pace, England are playing a high line at the back, and Jessica Silva seems to be playing through the middle. She’s just signed for Lyon, and is absolutely rapid.
10 min: Brilliant keeping from Morais! A wonderful through ball from Bronze finds England, but the striker’s touch is a little heavy and Portugal’s keeper steams out to dive bravely at England’s feet, who was one step off the pace.
8 min: Interesting to know what Phil Neville would regard as a good result here. It’s an experimental line-up, but anything less than a comfortable win would again be thought of as a disappointment.
6 min: So it looks like Bronze is playing in a holding role in midfield, with Daly playing at right back.
4 min: England have looked very suspect from crosses recently, both goals conceded against Brazil came from wide areas, and Jessica Silva gets free down the right. A nice knockdown to Mendes sees the forward get a left-footed shot off, but Houghton is there to clear. Not a convincing start from Greenwood at left back.
Updated
2 min: England work a corner short, and Beth England connects well with the eventual cross, looping a header straight at Morais. That was not too dissimilar to her goal against Brazil on Saturday.
We are underway in Portugal, England are in their changed all-red strip, Portugal in a white number. Peeeeeeeeeeep!
And here are the rest of the full-time results in Euro qualifying. A 13-0 win for Norway against the Faroe Islands, with Isabell Herlovsens scoring a hat-trick to move ahead of Marianne Pettersen as Norway’s all-time top scorer.
#WEURO2021 qualifying update - Denmark and Italy join Germany on 4 wins, Belgium, Norway and Finland also perfect, crucial late victory for Wales🏆
— #WEURO2021 (@UEFAWomensEURO) October 8, 2019
About to start: Netherlands-Russia and Ireland-Ukraine - follow live https://t.co/gctxmKUIj2 pic.twitter.com/FbxE4rg9QZ
Full-time: Belarus 0-1 Wales!
A massive result for Wales, who score late on through Rachel Rowe, who squeezed her shot into the far corner after doing well to pick up a loose ball from a corner. Belarus were Wales’ nearest challenger in Pool C of the Euro qualifying so that has put clear daylight between the two sides.
🇧🇾 0-1 🏴 SGÔR TERFYNOL.
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) October 8, 2019
3 points. In the bag. Buddugoliaeth gwych!
#BLRWAL | #BeFootball | #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/dXzezc7S9T
Portugal team news
Este é o nosso 11! Vamos, Portugal!
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) October 8, 2019
🇵🇹🆚🏴
⏰ 19h#TodosPortugal pic.twitter.com/lbIp062TTl
Disappointing to not see Diana Silva start up front. An extremely experienced line up, Jessica Silva is probably the chief threat on Portugal’s right wing.
In case you missed this piece by Suzy Wrack, it’s well worth your time. Lucy Bronze was a few months from choosing Portugal over England for her international allegiance, back in the day, owing to her Portuguese father Joaquim. What a loss that would have been for England. Regardless, both sides of her family are on hand to watch her in action tonight.
A couple of live games this evening to catch you up on: Wales are lucky to still be drawing 0-0 with Belarus in their World Cup qualifier, with Anastasia Shcherbachenia missed a golden chance to put the hosts in front. It’s only six degrees in Borisov!
Elsewhere, England’s U19s have beaten Serbia 6-0, with Jessica Park netting a hat-trick! What a prospect the young 17-year-old Man City striker looks to be.
As ever, Steph Houghton captains England. It was her husband Stephen Darby’s birthday on Sunday, the day after England’s match against Brazil. You can still donate to the DarbyRimmer Foundation.
Big moment for @DarbyRimmerMND foundation today!
— Steph Houghton MBE (@stephhoughton2) October 5, 2019
Thank you to my teammates, staff, @Boro + @FA for all your support!
Text MND to 70533 to donate £3 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yLdyvGmNj9
England team news
Four changes to the starting XI...
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 8, 2019
Who's ready? 👊 pic.twitter.com/E9j1YoYiai
Beth England does indeed get a start in place of Jodie Taylor, young Man City keeper Ellie Roebuck gets a chance in goal instead of Mary Earps, who perhaps could have done better with Brazil’s opening goal on Saturday. Leah Williamson is expected to take her place in midfield, after impressing there for Arsenal this season, while Jill Scott’s ankle injury means Lucy Staniforth gets a chance to impress.
Preamble
Much of the talk before this friendly has been about Phil Neville, and yep, it’s true, the Lionesses manager is probably facing his toughest spell since he took over in January 2018. Neville has said as much, admitting yesterday that he and his side are “in a downward trough” at the moment, after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Brazil made it five matches without a win.
However, talk of a crisis is perhaps a tad premature: at the World Cup, England were a converted penalty away from taking the eventual champions, USA, into extra-time, while recent narrow defeats to Sweden and Norway should be regarded as a minor setback rather than a red flag. In all, it’s been a brilliant year for England with victory at the SheBelieves Cup and Lucy Bronze being voted the best player in Europe.
This friendly just outside Lisbon is the perfect opportunity for England to get back on track. Portugal are ranked 26 places below the Lionesses in the Fifa rankings but they are no mugs, losing this fixture by the odd goal in the 2017 Euros, a tournament in which they beat Scotland 2-1.
Portugal have a lovely blend of experience of youth and are certainly growing the game on home soil, with veterans of over 100 caps such as Carole Costa and Ana Borges returning from clubs like Atletico Madrid and Chelsea home to play in the Portuguese league. Up front, they’ve got pace to burn, watch out for Diana Silva in particular, who should give Steph Houghton plenty to think about at the back tonight.
For England, Neville has the option of starting Beth England, who impressed in her substitute appearance against Brazil, scoring a wonderful headed goal, and generally providing some cutting edge on an off day for Beth Mead and Jodie Taylor.
We’ll have team news in a mo.
Kick-off: 7pm BST.
