England denied on Wembley return

England 1-1 Brazil

Substitute Diego headed a dramatic added-time equaliser to deny England a memorable victory as they ended a six-year exile from Wembley Stadium.

Estonia boost
With David Beckham returning to the international fray the game looked to be following a storyteller's script. Midway through the second half the England No7 swung a free-kick to the back post and Terry, the man who replaced him as captain, escaped the attentions of Naldo to head in emphatically at the far post. Steve McClaren's team were heading for a morale-boosting triumph ahead of their must-win UEFA EURO 2008™ Group E fixture in Estonia on Wednesday, but Brazil had other ideas. SC Heerenveen's Afonso Alves twice went close before another substitute, Werder Bremen's Diego swept in Gilberto Silva's last-gasp cross.

Beckham focus
The England fans held up placards spelling 'Welcome Home' just before kick-off, but whether that was a general greeting or aimed specifically to Beckham it was unclear. In a fractious opening the biggest cheer was reserved for the Real Madrid CF man as he charged down a clearance from Juan and he was soon in more familiar territory, threading an exquisite pass towards Michael Owen. The ball just evaded the Newcastle United FC striker and he and Alan Smith endured a frustrating half, dwarfed by the defensive pillars of Juan and debutant Naldo.

Leading lights
At the other end Brazil's four-pronged attack of Kaká, Ronaldinho, Robinho and Vágner Love interchanged well but clear-cut chances were at a premium. Robinho twice shot from range while Kakà saw his slaloming run ended by a brilliant tackle from Steven Gerrard. Instead it was Gilberto Silva who came closest, finding the net with a header only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. The Arsenal FC midfielder is not one for the limelight, however, and the match's more obvious names soon returned to centre stage. Just before the half-hour Beckham fired a free-kick just wide of the post and Ronaldinho soon followed suit from a similar position.

England initiative

The Brazil No7 went closer within five minutes of the restart, however, firing a low, deflected shot that Paul Robinson did well to keep out. It set the tone for a more open second period. Kaká drilled a rising effort though it was England, spurred on by a partisan crowd, who soon tipped the balance in their own favour. Owen almost scored an unlikely header before substitute Stuart Downing forced Helton to tip over from long range and the stage was set for Beckham and Terry - but Diego had not read the script.