NEW YORK, June 29 (Xinhua) -- France coach Didier Deschamps said his team will not tone down its attacking style in Tuesday's round-of-32 clash against Sweden.
"We scored 10 goals in the group stage and we could have scored more. We have a capacity for danger, and I want us to keep it," said Deschamps, who had briefly left the squad to travel back to France for his mother's funeral.
Deschamps praised captain Kylian Mbappe for both his work ethic and leadership.
"Kylian defends. He knows how to defend. Perhaps not as much as the others, but he scores more goals than the others too," Deschamps said. "Yes, he's on a mission, but I've been telling you that since day one. The physical work we've had to do isn't really for strikers. He was the first to lead by example."
"Beyond Kylian's quality and his ability to score goals, he fully embraces his role as captain. The image people might have of him from the outside doesn't always - or very often - match who he really is," he added.
Deschamps said Sweden should not be underestimated, particularly its attacking trio.
"They're a good team. Take the front three, for example. For the clubs that signed them, it was a very significant investment," he said. "They're very good players, as they play for top clubs."
Turning to his personal situation, the coach said being back at work has helped him cope with his loss.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm fine - I'm here," he said. "It's been good to keep my mind occupied since Friday evening when I arrived. I've resumed my duties, and everything went well for France and the coaching staff throughout this third match. As for me, it was obviously very tough. For my own sake and for the sake of France, I had to leave. They did the right thing. We're now preparing for the second phase of the tournament, which is about to begin."
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot acknowledged the emotional impact on the squad when Deschamps first revealed the news of his mother's death.
"It's true that it was quite difficult when he told us about his mum's death and that he had to leave us. Obviously, it came as a shock," Rabiot said. "Of course, he had complete faith in us. I think we did the job as well as we possibly could."
"We're glad to have him back. I don't think it's easy having to grieve under those circumstances. That's football for you. The World Cup just happened to be on at that time. I think he's come back keen to do well, to go as far as possible in the tournament. It's something that will help him take his mind off it all a bit, which will do him good," he added. ■
