Australia beaten but unbowed and ready to tackle the world
The Socceroos took the fight to France and, despite an opening defeat, showed their campaign in Russia is far from over
They were supposed to tear Australia apart, slice through the Socceroos’ defence like a knife through butter. The pace of Kylian Mbappé, the guile of Antoine Griezmann, the power of Paul Pogba – few expected Bert van Marwijk’s boys to have a hope against the might of the 1998 World Cup champions and two-times European champions France. How could the makeshift centre-back Mark Milligan, who plays his club football in Saudia Arabia, and the Western Sydney Wanderers full-back Josh Risdon stand a chance?
Russia’s 5-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia, along with Iran’s struggles against Morocco on Friday, emphasised the point: Asian football is ordinary and the Socceroos would be no match for Didier Deschamps’s new brigade of French phenomenons. Victory was guaranteed. And after 15 minutes the match was going entirely to script.
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