World Cup 2022: France demolishes Australia 4-1 after Craig Goodwin goal
Kylian Mbappe brutally exposed the gulf between Australia and France — and one man was on the end of his onslaught. Get full reaction from the Socceroos’ 4-1 loss here.
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The $1 billion divide between Australia and world champions France has been brutally exposed in the Socceroos’ Qatar World Cup opener.
Graham Arnold’s briefly side threatened to stun the world when Adelaide United winger Craig Goodwin opened the scoring in the ninth minute.
But the class of the French shone through after the opening 20 minutes as Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe pulled the strings.
Mbappe gave Nathaniel Atkinson a torrid time on the left flank as France used the space on the wing to expose Australia’s defence.
PLAYER RATINGS: HOW DID EVERY SOCCEROO RATE?
Olivier Giroud — deputising for injured Ballon D’or winner Karim Benzema — netted a brace which drew him level with Thierry Henry’s as France’s greatest scorer.
Rabiot scored the equaliser and Mbappe rounded out the scoring with the fourth goal during a dominant second half for Les Bleus.
SCROLL DOWN TO RECAP OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIA V FRANCE
“In all fairness it could have been more,” former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich said on SBS.
“Some clearances off the line. Mbappe himself missed an unbelievable chance in the first half. You can see the smiles there.
“For the first ten minutes, you have to say, Australia done really well, but after that you saw the reasons why they are reigning world champions, and also the depth in their squad as well. “I will let the boys take it on in terms of this defeat might be Socceroos.
But well done to France … In my opinion, they will go deep into the tournament.”
According to transfermarkt, the Australian World Cup squad is valued at about $59m and the world champion’s squad is worth about $1.6 billion.
“Look at the end of the day, there are a quality side, they are world champions for a reason,” Socceroos boss Graham Arnold said.
“I thought the first half, we did well. Second half, we ran out of legs a bit, but that’s the type of level of those players play out.”
Goalscorer Craig Goodwin said the Socceroos showed enough to suggest they could trouble Tunisia in their next Group D fixture.
“It’s a short turn around and we have to prepare for the game against Tunisia, looking at where we can possibly hurt them, and do the best we can. It’s a game we have to go into with confidence,” Goodwin said.
“I think that first half we showed we can match it with them but tactically perhaps we can do a little better, getting more pressure on the ball, but at the end of the day we have to prepare for the next game now.”
On his goal, Goodwin said: “It’s obviously mixed emotions because in the end we lose the game, but obviously an incredibly proud moment. Honoured to represent my country at the World Cup, and to score is an amazing feeling. But mixed feelings because we lost the game in the end.”
Bosnich said the Socceroos could easily have conceded six goals and feared the gulf between Australia and the world’s premier teams was growing.
“Four years ago, we play France in the opening game as well and lost 2-1. Today, 4-1. It probably could have been conservatively six. The gulf is widening, and it’s massive. We saw that here today,” he said.
Australia lost the corresponding group fixture at the 2018 World Cup 2-1 to France.
The French overcame an early leg injury to defender Lucas Hernandez, with fears his tournament could be over.
The Socceroos’ qualification hopes will be on the line when they face 30th-ranked Tunisia on Saturday night (9pm AEDT).
Tunisia and Denmark drew 1-1 in the other Group D match, leaving Australia rooted to the bottom of the group after the first matches.
TWO EMOTIONS SUM ON SOCCEROOS’ FRENCH REGRET
Adam Peacock
Frustration and regret. Those are the two big emotions from Camp Socceroo in the immediate postscript to a big lesson from reigning world champions France.
Australia took a stunning early lead thanks to Craig Goodwin’s 12th minute opener, only to be overrun by a French machine which roared to life off the back of Kylian Mbappe’s brilliance.
“Little errors against world class opponents, you get punished,” Aziz Behich told reporters post-match.
The Socceroos left-back believes a lull after taking the lead cost his side badly.
“We let them put their foot on the ball and get the rhythm of the game. I thought we played well when we had the ball, playing out from the back really well they couldn’t press us the way they wanted.”
But it all changed once France got the equaliser through midfielder Adrien Rabiot. After that, aside from Jackson Irvine’s late first half header which hit the post, the Socceroos were chasing.
“They go slow, slow, lull you into a false sense of security then they just hit you, pretty fast,” defender Kye Rowles remarked after just his fifth international game.
“When they cross it it’s just the perfect ball. (Olivier) Giroud’s done it for 20 odd years, he finds those pockets. (Kylian) Mbappe is just as good. That’s what quality players do.”
Nathanial Atkinston had the unenviable task of trying to contain Kylian Mbappe, and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi nearing the end, the 23-year-old Parisian showed exactly why he’s tipped to be the next king.
“It’s just the physicality of the guy. Give him one step and he’s gone,” Atkinson says.
“As a team you can always come up with a plan and sometimes when it’s one v one, he gets the better of you, it’s a learning curve.”
After giving Mbappe too much room in the first half when isolated, Atkinson looked to mark the French star closer in the second half and for long periods it worked. But such is the class of the player who has signed a $500 million contract with PSG, he put the Socceroos away by heading in France’s third goal then creating the fourth.
“You can get your confidence up by getting a few challenges in, but there’s a reason he’s one of the top three players in the world. But that’s not an excuse, I want to play the best players in the world.”
Atkinson, the first Tasmanian to play at a World Cup, revealed some of the Socceroos older guard helped him get over the ordeal of trying to quell Mbappe straight after full time.
“When I came into the change room my head was down, the first ones to come up to me were the experienced players. They said the beauty is in three days time we’ve got another game.”
Striker Mitchell Duke had a rough night, battling France’s twin boulders at the back, Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano.
“Those two centre backs were absolute beats,” Duke says.
“Off the ball they were quite physical as well. But I like playing that way, I can handle it. Just unfortunate we couldn’t play to my strengths a bit more, get a few crosses in.
Duke nearly scored a wonder goal in the first half, but his short which would have made it 2-0 whistled by, with Hugo Lloris as helpless as a sailor without a rudder.
“Would have been one for the highlight reel. That goal could have been an extra little boost for us to give a two goal buffer but not to be.”
MATCH RECAP
8AM UPDATE: FRANCE 4-1 AUSTRALIA
And a match which promised so much in the first 10 minutes for Australia finishes in a 4-1 defeat that is going to make getting out of the group very difficult.
The result isn’t unexpected but will no doubt be disappointing after Craig Goodwin opened the scoring on nine minutes.
France exposed the $700m+ gap between the squads (on the transfer market at least) with a brutal comeback performance.
And that is without the world’s best player Karim Benzema in the French squad.
7.43AM UPDATE: AUSTRALIA ALMOST PLAYS WITH 12 MEN
Coming down from 4-1 against the world champion was never going to be easy — even with an extra man.
Socceroos MC Jarrod Walsh revealed a moment of confusion caused Australia to have an extra man on the pitch briefly.
Goalscorer Craig Goodwin eventually came off but even he looked puzzled about what was unfolding.
“One of the more bizzare things I’ve seen. 4th official holds up board for McGree/Mabil
Then repeats it! So Garang goes on the pitch,” Walsh tweeted.
“We restart with 12 players then they realise. Goody has to then come off!”
7.35AM UPDATE: GIROUD SCORES AND IT’S ALL OVER
OK, it probably already was over but we can definitely declare it now. Olivier Giroud heads home from an Mbappe cross and the Frenchman equals Thierry Henry’s all-time goalscoring record. You could see what it meant to him too. France 4-1.
7.30AM UPDATE: CLEARED OFF THE LINE — AND THEN A THIRD!
Game over? It seemed a matter of time until Kylian Mbappe scored and less than a minute after a clearance off the line denied France its third goal, he finishes clinically. France lead 3-1 and one of the golden boot favourites is on the board in Qatar.
7.18AM UPDATE: CUMMINGS ON
Central Coast striker Jason Cummings is on for his first taste of World Cup football. He replaces Mitch Duke who started upfront for the Socceroos. When will we see teen phenom Garang Kuol?
ITS TIME FOR GARANG #FRAAUSpic.twitter.com/aA5yZujWn2
— ray🇦🇺🦘 (@themercbarbie) November 22, 2022
Throw Garang on for the last 25 mins Arnie.
— D.\niel Scott 🇦🇺ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿ (@scotty21_) November 22, 2022
Time for Garang, Arnie!
— simonhill1894 (@simonhill1894) November 22, 2022
7.14AM UPDATE: GIROUD SOARS
Olivier Giroud comes close to pulling off a stunning bicycle kick, soaring through the air and then clipping a shot less than a metre wide of Matt Ryan’s goal. With 40 minutes to play (plus added time) it’s still France 2-1.
It could have been goal of the tournament.#Giroud
— Thanushan Thanabalasingam (@nameisthanushan) November 22, 2022
Olivier Giroud making light work of his 36 years there with an athletic bicycle kick that wasn't too far off target. Still such a good player.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) November 22, 2022
7.05AM UPDATE: BOSNICH’S FIRST HALF TAKE
Former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Bosnich says both of France’s first-half goals were “completely avoidable”.
Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud answered for the world champions after Craig Goodwin’s ninth-minute strike gave Australia a shock lead.
But Bosnich says Australia will be ruing both French goals, which came from errors.
“Around about the 20 minute mark France controlled the game. A very good header but again it has come from a corner. So for all of France’s dominance from the 25th minute onwards the two goals were completely avoidable,” he said on SBS.
Bosnich said most Socceroos fans would have accepted a 2-1 deficit at the break, adding Australia had made France appear “nervous”.
6.55AM UPDATE: FANS STUNNED BY ADDED TIME
We were predicting maybe two minutes added time but as has been the theme of this World Cup the referee found six — and it has fans very confused.
Iconic football referee Pierluigi Collina explained what was happening on Tuesday.
“What we already did in Russia [2018] was to more accurately calculate the time to be compensated,” he told ESPN.
“We told everybody to don’t be surprised if they see the fourth official raising the electronic board with a big number on it, six, seven or eight minutes.
“If you want more active time, we need to be ready to see this kind of additional time given. Think of a match with three goals scored. A celebration normally takes one, one and a half minutes, so with three goals scored, you lose five or six minutes.
Experts were dumbfounded by the numbers they were seeing.
“Qatar has the world’s largest naturally-occurring resource of stoppage time,” respected soccer reporter Sam Wallace wrote on Twitter.
Socceroos have at least 73 minutes after the break to turn it around. #FIFAWorldCup2022
— Carly Adno (@CarlyAdno226) November 22, 2022
Six added minutes.
— All Hail Queen Zelina (@bainalan05) November 22, 2022
Hopefully they keep this nonsense away from the Premier League. #FIFAWorldCup
Adding on time for goal celebrations? Best explanation for six minutes stoppage time in #FRAAUS (Three minutes for Hernandez injury)
— Mark Murphy (@MarkMurphy66) November 22, 2022
Who can explain where six minutes of stoppage time came from? #FRAAUS#WorldCup#WorldCup2022
— Brian W. (@BlueMonday2021) November 22, 2022
6.48AM UPDATE: IRVINE HITS THE UPRIGHT!
And at the other end Australia is inches away from making it 2-2 at halftime. Middlesborough midfielder Riley McGree’s cross is met by Irvine who bounces a header onto the post. Huge Lloris was wrong-footed and had no chance.
6.46AM UPDATE: MBAPPE MISSES A SITTER
And this match should be over. Kylian Mbappe has the ball on a platter and misses from only a few metres out. He gave a wry smile but should have buried that.
WHAT A CHANCE FOR MBAPPE 🤯
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 22, 2022
6.32AM UPDATE: FRANCE IN FRONT
Well then …
A lapse in concentration costs the Socceroos badly as Olivier Giroud puts France in front for the first time.
Right-back Nathaniel Atkinson was robbed in possession and Giroud scored a tap-in to give France a 2-1 lead.
“Atkinson’s first touch is poor. It was a great little flick by Mbappe and he has put it on a plate for Olivier Giroud. For a striker, that is the best goal you can score. Unfortunately, we scored goals from mistakes and that is a bad mistake. But plenty of time to get back into the game,” Harry Kewell says on SBS.
How is it only the 35th minute, I've aged at least a year#AUSFRA#Socceroos
— Shaun Mathieson âš½ï¸ (@InTheMixer_FM) November 22, 2022
Australia looking like sitting ducks at the moment. France starting with the party trucks #FIFAWorldCup#Socceroos
— John M (@Disco_JMo) November 22, 2022
Schoolboy errors have cost us both goals. The last one especially was park football stuff.#FIFAWorldCup#Socceroos
— mighty tiges (@mightytiges) November 22, 2022
6.28AM UPDATE: FRANCE EQUALISES!
A lovely cross is finished by a pinpoint header from midfielder Adrian Rabiot and just like that Australia’s advantage is cancelled out. Hernandez’s ball from the left flank was the key. 1-1 in Qatar!
6.22AM UPDATE: AUSTRALIA INCHES AWAY FROM 2-0
Mitch Duke has Hugo Lloris sprawling in the France goal with a powerful drive which sails just wide!
“These are the opportunities we are looking for, the little mistakes that the French team are going to get annoyed with, and if we can pick up on. That was a wonderful effort by Mitchell,” Harry Kewell says on SBS.
6.10AM UPDATE: AUSTRALIA IS IN FRONT!
Craig Goodwin smashes the ball past Hugo Lloris from a Matt Leckie cross and the Australians are in front. Wow!
6.09AM UPDATE: KEWELL CONCERNED BY DEFENSIVE APPROACH
Socceroos great Harry Kewell says he’s worried about the early space Australia is giving the world’s most-expensive player Kylian Mbappe.
The Paris Saint-Germain star is playing on the left for France and has already had 2-3 dangerous moments in the opening 10 minutes.
“You can’t allow Mbappe to bring the ball down and run at you. You just can’t,” Kewell said on SBS.
6.01AM UPDATE: WE’RE AWAY IN QATAR
Joe Barton is on the ground for News Corp and reigning world champion France has got this match underway. Kylian Mbappe immediately has the Australian defence scrambling and Harry Souttar stands tall (literally) in his first involvement since an ACL injury.
5.55AM UPDATE: WHAT TUNISIA-DRAW MEANS FOR AUSSIES
Adam Peacock in Doha
Nothing to be petrified of, but plenty to be respectful about.
That’s what the Socceroos face in their two remaining Group D contests, after Tunisia and Denmark played out an entertaining 0-0 draw in the midafternoon kick-off on day three of the World Cup.
The pulsating contest which had the foundations of the newly built Education City stadium shaking throughout, was fuelled by the characteristics of both sides. Emotional meets control. Passionate against particular. Both cancelled each other out, but only just.
At full time, some Tunisian players collapsed to the ground and kissed it. The Danes kicked it.
Two points dropped for the Europeans, who came in touted by many to make a deep run at this World Cup. Improvement in most facets will be needed.
5.45AM UPDATE: Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has named his starting XI to take on France, with Craig Goodwin edging out Awer Mabil to join Australia’s front three and returning pair Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles selected to start in central defence.
As expected, Mat Leckie lines up on the right wing – following the tournament-ending injury to Martin Boyle – while veteran striker Mitch Duke will lead the line, with Goodwin stationed on the left of the team which will be captained by goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
With Ajdin Hrustic unable to start, as he recovers from an ankle injury, Middlesborough’s Riley McGree joins Jackson Irvine and Aaron Mooy in midfield – where they’ll face a vital battle against the more fancied French Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot.
Rowles (foot) and Souttar (returning from ACL) have done enough in camp to convince Arnold they’re capable of competing against the world champions across 90 minutes, while Nathaniel Atkinson has dislodged Fran Karacic to play right back, with the reliable Aziz Behich on the left.
“I’m a believer,” Socceroos legend Harry Kewell says on SBS.
SOCCEROOS TEAM V FRANCE
Mat Ryan, Aziz Behich, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Nathaniel Atkinson, Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Riley McGree, Craig Goodwin, Mat Leckie, Mitchell Duke
And for those who would just like a graphic... pic.twitter.com/t9IxEjuwGO
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 22, 2022
Le premier 1⃣1⃣ de cette Coupe du Monde 🫡🔥
— Equipe de France ââ (@equipedefrance) November 22, 2022
🇫🇷🇦🇺 | #FRAAUS | #FiersdetreBleuspic.twitter.com/j2kOqhbZvz
F-WORD BAN: SOCCEROOS GAGGED AT WORLD CUP
What is pain? French bread.
What is fatigue? Army clothes.
Famous lines from the classic sports movie Remember the Titans, of course – but also those which can be overheard at the Socceroos’ Aspire training base if you manage to sneak past the mountain of security guards after one of coach Graham Arnold’s high-intensity sessions.
OK, that’s stretching the truth a touch, but in a bid to create a hard-edge to his squad, Arnold has banned the words ‘fatigue’ and ‘pain’ from his training compound – as well as ‘France’, this week, curiously enough – as Australia readies itself for a gruelling three games in 10 days.
“That’s why everyone’s here. 26 players, and with a short turnaround, you need players that are flexible, that can play in not just one position but two and three positions,” Arnold said when asked about the hectic schedule.
“It’s about just backing them up – I’ve banned the word ‘fatigue’, I’ve banned the word ‘pain’.
“This is a World Cup, there’s no such thing as that. How can you be tired after a game, or fatigued, or have a bit of pain or stiffness?
“Recover quickly, and get on with it. It’s all one step at a time and we’re just looking forward to tomorrow night.”
“I can’t give much away.”
It’s not just pain and fatigue that have been banned of course. So have the names of opposition teams and players – which started with France the past week, but will transition to Tunisia in the hours after Tuesday night’s game.
How do you prepare to take down Kylian Mbappe, one of the world’s most electric attacking weapons, without referring to him by name?
It’s simple, according to the wily Australian coach.
“His strengths, his speed, winger, cuts inside on his right foot, shoots … we need to have players there ready for that,” Arnold said.
“The players go and they get all the individual footage and all the analysis on that individual. We give that all to the individual to go and look at. I can remove the name; the players can’t. But it’s the way I present it. We’re playing against 10 blue shirts.”
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