The Matildas hunt for pole position in the international rankings shows no signs of slowing down after Australia claimed their fifth successive win, including three over Brazil, led by an inspired Sam Kerr.
Australia strengthened their credentials in Newcastle, while Kerr did her chances no harm of becoming the first Australian to win Womens' Player of the Year by scoring two goals in a 3-2 comeback that left the South American giants seething by full-time.
Several Brazilian players refused to shake hands with the Matildas after one of the most spiteful and bruising defeats against Australia in a rivalry that is quickly simmering to boil.
Kerr was less than rapt in the antics of their opponents.
"Not shaking hands, it's not an Australian thing but I'm not really going to comment on it because it's not something I think is very ... I don't really like it, but whatever," said Kerr
"It was heated. I don't know how it started. I just saw Caitlin [Foord] fall to the ground, but I guess that's what happens when you get under people's skin, not only in the game but the last three matches.
"It was disappointing to see. We think of them as a very highly respectable team and I don't think we got the respect we deserved tonight after the last three performances."
Brazil's unsporting farewell failed to overshadow the performance of Kerr, who scored a clever header to draw level in the first half, played a pivotal role in the Matilda's second before sealing the eventual winner with an instinctive striker's poach for her seventh goal in her last four international games.
Her red-hot form will keep her in the running to be among the final three candidates for FIFA's highest individual honour, while more immediately ensured Australia are set to finish 2017 as the form national team in women's football.
"She's just flying, the first goal was phenomenal - the header and she probably could have had a hat-trick tonight," Matildas coach Alen Stajcic said.
While the friendly series was a chance for Stajcic to experiment with his side before vital qualifiers and continental championships, the true importance of striking while the iron was hot was evident with his team sheet. Just three changes from Saturday's 2-1 win over Brazil highlighted the importance of winning a rare blockbuster on home soil.
"We want to develop a winning mentality in this team and I think we're starting to show that," Stajcic said.
It didn't start brightly, however. Brazil tried to prey on the young on Saturday against the Matildas, but found no way past the 17-year-old Ellie Carpenter. They tried to exploit her once more and had to wait less than a minute to reap the rewards.
Five-time world player of the year Marta pounced on generous marking from the youngster to place an inch-perfect square ball for the oncoming Fabiana, who made no mistake in front of goal. Fifty-nine seconds in and the Matildas were trailing Brazil after months of feeling all-but invincible.
It elicited the best from the hosts whose frustration simmered to the surface with a physical, intimidating response.
They looked to Kerr but in the absence of regular strike partners Lisa De Vanna and Caitlin Foord, their route to her was often too predictable. When the striker would beat her marker, she struggled to beat the offside trap.
In the shadows, Hayley Raso nearly drew level with a shot on the turn after the half-hour mark before Kerr finally seized on the space she needed to shine. She might stand at only 167cm but once again, Kerr rose the highest inside the box and latched on to an Emily Van Egmond cross, firing a powerful header from deep to equalise.
The Matildas nearly stole the lead on the stroke of half-time when Katrina Gorry had a chance from close range but could only rattle the post.
But it only delayed the inevitable. Two minutes after the restart the Matildas had the lead.
Gorry once again was through on goal but a haphazard finish lacked the power to beat Dani Neuhaus on its own, requiring a follow-up from substitute Foord to make it 2-1.
The Matildas may have drawn themselves back into the contest through brute force but they sealed their win with pure eloquence.
A neat exchange between Van Egmond and Chloe Logarzo gave the latter space to whip in a well-weighted cross and while the Brazilian defenders delayed, Kerr pounced.
She split her two markers with a perfectly timed run and fired a first-time volley to score her second of the night, making it 3-1.
A controversial penalty decision in favour of Brazil gave the visitors a lifeline. Marta made no mistake from the spot and not even the fingertips of Lydia Williams in goals could deny them a second.
It proved a mere consolation however, as the Matildas matched their longest ever winning-streak.
with AAP
