It was a tough night out for the Matildas, who were defeated by Brazil 3-1 in a heated clash at Lang Park.

Two of those opposition goals came straight off the blocks as Brazil dominated the opening 20 minutes.

Despite fighting their way back into the match and the best efforts of Caitlin Foord, who continued to star up front in the absence of Sam Kerr, the Matildas could not find a way through the the reigning Olympic silver medallists.

The match had the added emotion of being part of veteran Clare Polkinghorne's farewell tour — her last match in Brisbane.

Here are some quick hits from the match.

1. 'Too easy for Brazil'

The Matildas found themselves two goals down within the opening 13 minutes of the match, putting themselves on the back foot early.

It took just six minutes for Amanda Gutierres to find the opening goal for Brazil. Her second came seven minutes later.

Former professional player and commentator Grace Gill said the Matildas were absolutely caught off guard.

"That was not dealt with by the Matildas," Gill said on Paramount+.

Brazil were afforded far too much space by Australia throughout the match, with the home team leaky in defence and at times undisciplined. It ended up costing them.

Australia were missing a long list of key players due to injury or being managed including Kerr, Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry, Clare Wheeler, Cortnee Vine, Kaitlyn Torpey and Amy Sayer. 

Yet they still boasted a fair amount of experience on the park, including Foord and Hayley Raso, who fought hard up forward.

Foord’s redeeming goal, Australia's only of the night, was one to admire. 

It was Ellie Carpenter with the assist, with credit to Emily Van Egmond, who had a dummy and let the ball pass her knowing Foord was primed in a much better spot.

Then Foord had a touch, brilliant turn, another touch and then a neat strike to sink the ball in the bottom corner.

2. A heated match

One of the most remarkable outcomes of the first half was that no cards were awarded. 

In the second, Brazilian Vitória Calhau was forced off after receiving two yellow cards — the second after fouling Carpenter. 

In the first half, Foord threw her hands up at the referee after having her shirt yanked by Isa Haas as she streamed towards the goal and no free kick was given.

When she scored minutes later, pent-up energy burst out of her as she pumped her first at the crowd.

Raso, a likely culprit for some feeling with her opponent, found herself in an even more heated contest than usual with Calhau. 

There was a particularly fiery moment when Calhau wrapped her arms around Raso, off the ball, and brought her to ground. The pair eyed off as the home crowd protested the action. 

Calhau eventually earned a yellow card at the 65th minute. The second in the 86th.

Raso also gave it back at times, pushing her opponent to the ground in one moment.

Even Australia coach Tom Sermanni got animated with an official in the final minutes of the first half.

3. Polkinghorne's emotional goodbye

It was an emotional start to the evening as all the players who weren't on the starting list lined up to the left of the players tunnel. Polkinghorne's family on the right.

The series against Brazil is the last for Matildas for veteran Polkinghorne, who is Australia's most capped footballer with 168 appearances since her debut in 2006.

When Polkinghorne was presented with a jersey by fellow Queenslander legend Darren Lockyer, her teammates — including Alanna Kennedy and Michelle Heyman — couldn't help but shed a few tears.

"Just a few quick words for me because we've got a game to get on with," Polkinghorne addressed the crowd.

"It's so special for me to be here and to celebrate in front of my home fans, in a city I grew up and in a stadium that I absolutely love.

"And this team has been everything to me. And it's been a hell of a journey and I'm very thankful for everything that everyone has done along the way."

A poetic finish under Sermanni, who handed Polkinghorne her debut.

4. Interest in the Matildas continues to rise

The Matildas' match against Brazil at Lang Park was their 15th consecutive public sellout on home soil. Their Sunday match at Robina Stadium in the Gold Coast, which Football Australia revealed to be projected to be sold out, will be their 16th.

The official crowd number was 47,501 with a few empty pockets of seats in the lower levels. Those seats are for stadium members, which Football Australia don't get a say over selling.

The Matildas' last non-World Cup match at Lang Park was against Canada in 2022, which had a crowd of 25,000.

"There's been a narrative in the media that Matildas interest post Women's World Cup was starting to wane," Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said at the pre-match function.

"This Matildas brand is going from strength to strength and getting strong post Women's World Cup, not weaker."

To make his case, Football Australia revealed the average home attendance for Matildas games has grown by 3,000 from 2023, when the boom of the World Cup saw fandom for the team grip the nation.

In 2024, including current sold-out figures from the current series against Brazil and Taiwan, the average attendances are at 44,000. In 2023, the average was 41,781.

5. Legends added to the hall of fame

At the match, four icons of Australian football were added to the hall of fame: Craig Foster, Jenny Bray, Ian Holmes and Alex Pongrass.

Foster played for the Socceroos 29 times and captained the team once in 2000. He has gone on to be one of the game's foremost broadcasters and a human rights campaigner, including leading the #SaveHakeem movement that saw former Bahrain player Hakeem al-Araibi released from a Thai prison and allowed to settle in Australia.

Bray is a trailblazer in the refereeing space, starting her on-field career in 1984 before being named Australia's first female FIFA referee in 1995.

Three years later she moved into a referee coaching role for the national governing body, before joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 in a development and assistance role for women referees. She is an AFC referee assessor and director of coaching with Football NSW's St George Association.

"Ian Holmes has devoted more than 50 years to football, playing an essential role in the game's administration at every level. His leadership in navigating both challenges and achievements has been vital to the sport's growth, and his contributions to infrastructure development have set the foundation for the future," Football Australia chair Anter Isaac said.

"The late Alex Pongrass AM stands as a towering figure in the history of Australian football. His role in establishing the National Soccer League and his dedication to the game's development, particularly through his leadership at St. George-Budapest, has left a profound legacy.

"Alex's vision and passion have shaped the landscape of Australian football in ways that continue to resonate."