The Matildas failed to convert their chances in a 0-0 draw with Portugal in their second match of the Algarve Cup.

Alen Stajcic brought four changes to the starting lineup, with Lydia Williams returning to the helm along with Michelle Heyman and Larissa Crummer replacing attacking duo Lisa De Vanna and Sam Kerr.

While Hannah Brewer got the nod for just her second international appearance since the Cyprus Cup in 2014.

Clare Polkinghorne earned her 100th cap, with the Matildas donning matching ‘Polkinghorne 100’ shirts during the warm-up. Polkinghorne’s experience showed in defence, providing a number of key clearances and injecting the Matildas with a needed sense of calm in a game that was characterised by frustration. 

The denial of a seemingly clear penalty against Chloe Logarzo in the early moments of the match marked the beginning of a series of controversial calls against Australia.

Portugal, the lowest ranked team in the tournament showed their strength in attack with lovely combination play between captain, Claudia Neto and forward, Jéssica Silva.

A chance in the 35th minute for Portugal saw a barreling run by Silva confidently handled by Lydia Williams after coming off her line as the forward drilled down the middle.

It was the best missed chance of the half and the game.

While the weather was an improvement from the heavy rain in the Matildas first game against Norway, the poor condition of the pitch posed problems.

With Crummer and Heyman unable to convert their chances in the first half, Sam Kerr and Lisa de Vanna came on after halftime creating a noticeable lift in attack.

After a number of missed chances, frustration came to a head when strong challenges against Logarzo, Katrina Gorry and Kerr failed to garner much attention from the officials.

Emily Condon made her debut appearance for the Matildas in the 60th minute becoming the 200th Matilda to wear the green and gold but was substituted minutes later after an ankle injury, joining the growing number of injured Matildas in the passing weeks.

Alanna Kennedy had the final chance of the game with a free kick just outside the box after a foul against a running Kerr.

The kick failed to meet its target and the score remained level against a resilient Portuguese side.                                                       

Throughout the game, a small group of Matildas fans cheered loudly against a larger Portuguese crowd.

The leaders of the cheers were Portuguese Matildas fans who despite the opposing side, turned up to support their sporting heroes.

In the other game, Norway clinched the three points in a 2-0 victory against China PR.

The Matildas remain the top of Group A and have two days for recovery before meeting China PR on Tuesday at 6 am AEST (Monday, 7 pm local time) in Albufeira, Portugal.