Brazil Denies England Maracana Victory

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (R) equalised for England

England came close to leaving Brazil's iconic Maracana home with an unlikely victory - only to be denied a repeat of their win here 29 years ago by Paulinho's late equaliser.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart produced a magnificent display to single-handedly keep Brazil at bay in a torrid first half when their latest young superstar Neymar tormented a poor England.

The defiant Hart produced a series of superb saves as Brazil ran England ragged, backed by the traditional fervour of fans revelling in watching their side play in this renovated stadium.

Brazil looked on course for victory when Fred put them ahead after the break but substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain enjoyed a golden moment he will treasure forever when he powered home a fine equaliser.

The Arsenal teenager's father, former Stoke City winger Mark Chamberlain, played in the Maracana when England secured a famous 2-0 win on their last visit in 1984.

And the fanatical Rio crowd feared the modern-day Brazil were going to suffer a similar fate when Wayne Rooney's deflected 25-yard shot gave Roy Hodgson's side the lead with 11 minutes left.

Paulinho cut short England's hopes of ending their season with a landmark, if undeserved, win with a fine volley - but they can still take credit from battling through a period when they were outclassed by Brazil to come away with a draw.

This was a night when Brazil's new home was put on show and this entertaining friendly did it justice, although the locals were understandably disappointed by the eventual outcome.

The new Maracana may have lost some of its unique appearance but the name still has the old mystique, with Rio's statue of Christ The Redeemer looking down from the hills overlooking the stadium.
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sports 1:03:00 PM