ANI
23 Nov 2022, 11:25 GMT+10
Al Wakrah [Qatar], November 23 (ANI): Following the loss to France in their FIFA World Cup 2022 opener, Australia head coach Graham Arnold said the quality of their opponents contributed to their win and his side was punished by their mistakes.
Olivier Giroud's brace and a stunning goal from Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe guided reigning champions France to 4-1 victory over Australia in the Group D match of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.
Arnold was quoted as saying by Sky Sports, "I think at the end of the day, the quality of the French team [was the reason for the win]. They are the previous champions for a reason. We started very well. Physically they were so much bigger, faster and stronger than us today. Overall, the boys did everything they could and that is all I can ask.""We have built the belief and the energy and the focus in the last week since we have been in camp. The way we started, we believed. That is what we trained on - that type of goal. But we were punished by our mistakes. Their crosses were bang on target. That game is gone. It is good that the other result was a draw. Now it is about winning on Saturday. We have to get ready for it," added the coach.
Craig Goodwin put Australia ahead in the first 10 minutes of the match as he scored a stunning goal.
However, goals from Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud gave France the lead before halftime, and Kylian Mbappe emerged as the game's standout player in the second half. He scored the third goal and provided Giroud with the perfect cross to score the fourth.
Injuries to France players in the lead-up to Australia's goal, including Lucas Hernandez, may have given France the impression that everything was working against them.
After quickly pulling his nation level with a goal, the superb midfielder changed roles, latching onto Mbappe's lovely flick to set up Giroud. For his 50th international goal, the seasoned striker only needed to put the ball in the goal.
With 51 goals for the men's national team, Giroud, 36, has now tied Thierry Henry for the most goals scored in France's history. The amazing Mbappe will undoubtedly surpass it one day.
Mbappe, however, took control in the second half and tormented the defence as France looked to increase their lead. Antoine Griezmann's attempt was blocked by a defender, but Mbappe was unstoppable and headed in Ousmane Dembele's right-wing cross off the post.
France will continue their title defence against Denmark on Saturday while Australia play Tunisia earlier that day. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Japan Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.
More InformationSYDNEY, Australia - A recent Roy Morgan survey indicates that if a federal election were held today, the Australian Labor Party (ALP)...
BEIJING, China (Xinhua) -- Where does Chinese President Xi Jinping work? Beyond Zhongnanhai and the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration is asking companies and foreign governments to help...
South Africa had given Taipei until the end of March to relocate its mission from the capital, Pretoria ...
South Africa had given Taipei until the end of March to relocate its mission from the capital, Pretoria With Taiwan's South African...
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 26 (ANI): Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)-- India's first operational smart...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: StubHub is getting ready to hit the trading floor. The popular ticketing platform has officially filed to...
NEW YORK, New York - The rally in U.S. stocks petered out Tuesday, however tech stocks made a modest gains, while the industrials edged...
CALGARY, Canada: Canada's carbon pricing policy, long a central pillar of its climate strategy, is facing mounting pressure as political...
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey: Johnson & Johnson is ramping up its U.S. investments even as global trade tensions resurface with plans...
WASHINGTON, D.C./DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates is significantly expanding its financial footprint in the U.S. with a new investment...
NEW YORK, New York - Investors bought up stocks on U.S. markets Monday after President Donald Trump indicated he may pull back on some...