France show pedigree to thump Socceroos

The shellshocked Socceroos are adamant they can rise from the World Cup canvas after being floored 4-1 by reigning champions France.

Australia went ahead when Craig Goodwin scored, and they largely bossed Les Bleus for the initial 25 minutes yesterday

But the Socceroos were then swamped by wave after ominous blue wave as France scored four goals in a 45-minute burst nearing pure football perfection.

‘‘They are the previous world champions for a reason,’’ Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said. ‘‘They were just so much bigger and faster and stronger than us.’’

Goodwin’s ninth-minute strike came from a superbly executed blueprint: a swift counter-attack from defence, to the flank, to the net.

Australia nearly went 2-0 up in the 22nd minute when a scorching 20-metre shot from Mitch Duke swerved just outside the right post.

Five minutes later, the flow turned into a tidal wave to France when Adrien Rabiot and stalwart Olivier Giroud scored twice in a five-minute span.

Giroud put the two-time winners in front after a blunder from Australian rightback Nathaniel Atkinson, who butchered control of a routine pass and, in a twinkling, France had scored.

‘‘I take full responsibility for the second goal,’’ Atkinson said.

The 23-year-old’s dream of playing at a World Cup turned into a nightmare, toyed with by France megastar Kylian Mbappe.

‘‘There’s a a reason why he’s earning $200 million a year and I am where I am,’’ said the Scotlandbased Atkinson.