France may have qualified for the Round of 16 in the World Cup after delivering another impressive performance, but coach Didier Deschamps stated that his team is still far from perfect and that there is always room for improvement as the level of competitors increases.
France easily overcame Sweden 3-0 to secure a match against Paraguay, but Deschamps felt the score could have been more convincing after his team missed a series of chances in the first half.
He said in a press conference: "We did what we had to do, even if we were a bit hesitant in the first 15 minutes. After that, we showed our ability to create chances. The only thing we regret is that we weren't precise enough in the first half."
He added: "We could have decided the game earlier, but we physically exhausted them, to the point that things became easier (for us) after the break."
Deschamps expressed his satisfaction at his team's smooth passage through the first knockout round, but warned that tougher tests await the team in the future.
He said: "Knockout stages are tough for everyone, even if we made things a bit easier on ourselves today. We are still only in the Round of 16."
He also showed determination not to get carried away with expectations, even though France has strengthened its position as one of the favorites to win the tournament.
He said: "We won’t get carried away with optimism. We will enjoy being here, then we will return to reality in 48 hours. We know what awaits us in 4 days. First, we will take our time to enjoy this win, then we will have to be ready to do it again."
France has impressed everyone throughout the tournament, scoring 13 goals, but has also allowed opportunities for opponents. Deschamps believes his team must continue to improve if they want to lift the trophy for the third time.
He said: "We need to continue raising our performance level because the competitors will become stronger. They will attack better and defend better. There are still aspects we need to improve. We allowed too many opportunities to the opponent, even though goalkeeper Mike (Maignan) had a great performance."
He added: "We need to make some adjustments to our positioning on the pitch, but the players communicate well with each other."
Despite these comments, Deschamps praised the collective commitment that has formed the foundation of the French national team's remarkable run.
He said: "There is a strong sense of togetherness when we have the ball against opponents who drop back to defend, and when we lose it, everyone is ready to work hard. Everyone participates (defensively)."
He added: "I feel satisfied and proud of that. Now we need to maintain this level and work to repeat it."