Chester (United States) (AFP) – Arsenal forward Beth Mead scored a thunderous winner as England came from behind to defeat Brazil 2-1 in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup friendly international tournament on Wednesday.
Second-half substitute Mead crashed in a spectacular angled shot on 75 minutes at Chester’s Talen Energy Stadium to ensure the Lionesses got off to a winning start in the four-team round-robin competition.
Ellen White had earlier hauled England back into the match with an equaliser in the 49th minute after Brazil had taken the lead through a controversial Andressa penalty on 16 minutes.
Hosts the United States play Japan later Wednesday in the second of the day’s games in the tournament, a key warm-up event ahead of this year’s Women’s World Cup in France.
England, the 2015 World Cup semi-finalists, will be pleased with an opening victory after recovering from the setback of conceding an early goal.
Brazil opened the scoring from the penalty spot after after Brazil captain Marta caught England counterpart Steph Houghton in possession near halfway and surged into the English penalty area.
The Brazilian veteran of four World Cup campaigns cut inside only to be dispossessed by what looked like a perfectly judged tackle by English fullback Lucy Bronze.
US referee Ekaterina Koroleva adjudged the tackle a foul however and pointed to the spot, waving away English protests.
Andressa then stepped up to ram home the spot-kick past England keeper Carly Telford.
The Lionesses did get back on level terms four minutes into the second half however with a goal that owed everything to the clever industry of Fran Kirby, the lively Chelsea playmaker threading a pass through to White, who finished past Aline for 1-1.
Aline then denied Nikita Parris a second goal for England, diving at full stretch to save the Manchester City winger’s goalbound header in the 58th minute.
The introduction of Mead for Karen Carney after 66 minutes by England manager Phil Neville proved a masterstroke, however.
Nine minutes later it paid off as Mead uncorked a rasping shot from wide on the right that flew into the top corner for the winner.
