Texas, July 14 -- France head coach Didier Deschamps admitted his side was below its usual standards after a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinal, saying Les Bleus paid the price for technical mistakes and a lack of cutting edge in attack.

Speaking after France's exit from the tournament, Deschamps said his players were deeply disappointed after falling short of their goal of reaching the final.

"The players are devastated because we had high ambitions, even though we have to admit that today we were a notch below our usual level technically, facing a team that really had a handle on the game," Deschamps said, as quoted by FIFA.

The French coach accepted responsibility for the defeat, saying his side failed to make the m...