Lionesses 1-2 Brazil: Old habits are still haunting Sarina Wiegman's side as they fall short of another comeback in fiery friendly - and the jury remains out on one new star

There are few certainties one can rely on in life: death, taxes, and Sarina Wiegman’s England side mounting a comeback.

This time, without the glitz and glamour of a European title at stake, the art of never-say-die ultimately fell short.

A new dawn is said to be breaking on these shores with the start of the 2027 World Cup cycle. Yet Wiegman and her trusted lieutenants have been quick to stress that this is less about wiping the slate clean and more about building on the foundations already laid.

England made a habit of going behind in the summer, and this period inevitably offers Wiegman room to experiment with her squad and perhaps, finally, overcome that curse.

Just how far the Dutch coach is willing to go was evident in Saturday’s starting XI, which featured most of her Euro stalwarts, save for those sidelined through injury.

The jury remains out on injured Hannah Hampton’s deputy, Khiara Keating. The City shot-stopper looked nervy at times with the ball at her feet but was not at fault for either of Brazil’s goals and was otherwise assured in the air. Regardless, a first cap for the 21-year-old marks an important milestone and forms part of the wider picture Wiegman is painting of her squad’s depth and future potential.

Few selections, though, have stirred as much debate as that of Maya Le Tissier, a discussion that has become one of the livelier talking points of Wiegman’s reign.

The Manchester United star is among the most formidable centre-backs in the Women’s Super League. Her partnership with Millie Turner has anchored the joint-best defence in the division this season. The pair have conceded just three goals in six games, matched only by champions Chelsea.

So dependable is Le Tissier that she was handed the armband at just 22, and earlier this month became the first player to start 71 consecutive games for a single club, every one since her arrival from Brighton three years ago.

Her tactical reading is sharp, her positioning astute, and she remains physically dominant despite standing only 5ft 7in.

All of this makes it rather staggering that Le Tissier has been so persistently overlooked by Wiegman, who continues to insist she views her as a right-back rather than a centre-half. Inevitably, she therefore falls behind Lucy Bronze in the pecking order.

That stance has baffled many, not least Manchester United’s own social media team, who responded to Wiegman’s comments on X with a photo of their captain and the caption: 'Maya Le Tissier has started 104 games for United. 103 of them have been at centre-back.'

Even with the Lionesses missing their leader Leah Williamson at the heart of defence, Wiegman stood firm and opted to station Le Tissier on the right. Bronze is still recovering from the fractured tibia she revealed she played through at the Euros, so on this occasion, Le Tissier benefitted.

Yet the 23-year-old found herself under siege in the opening stages, struggling to match Brazil’s pace and direct play.

The visitors arrived in Manchester flaunting their own summer silverware, the Copa America Femenina, and they were in no mood for a friendly. At times it threatened to spill over into something more sinister, with Chloe Kelly finding herself grabbed at the neck by a Brazil player after a tussle late on.

Brazil flew out of the blocks, while England looked as though they were still basking in the glow of their summer celebrations. This so-called 'Homecoming Series' felt less like a competitive fixture and more like a lap of honour, until the South American champions reminded them the party was over with two early goals.

The first came when Esme Morgan was drawn out of position, allowing Bia Zaneratto to race onto a deft flick and drive past Keating.

The second followed a sloppy Ella Toone pass, snapped up and coolly finished by San Diego Wave’s Dudinha.

On both occasions, England’s back line looked lost and leaderless, crying out for someone with composure, organisation and natural line discipline. Someone who happened to be playing out of position just to their right.

And on both occasions, Brazil celebrated as if it were the Copa final, the entire bench pouring onto the pitch in delight when they found the back of the net.

England were given a lifeline when Toone was brought down on the edge of the area and her captor was shown a red card. Another came early in the second half when Beth Mead was clipped in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, and Georgia Stanway coolly slotted home.

Le Tissier was finally moved into her natural centre-back role for the final 20 minutes after Carter made way for Bronze. The impact was immediate. England pressed higher, with greater urgency, and Esme Morgan was afforded space to roam forward and even register a couple of shots on goal.

Another talent overlooked in the summer was Aggie Beever-Jones. The Chelsea striker has been unstoppable in the WSL this season, and her influence was felt immediately when she replaced Chloe Kelly for the final half-hour on the left wing. 

But for all the positives on show, the Dutch coach is yet to solve the riddle that continues to haunt her side, the habit of going behind.

The hero they came to rely on so often in Switzerland never arrived, and England sunk to their first defeat since their opening group stage game against France.