Soccer: Toulalan bemoans lack of teamwork in France team

KNYSNA, South Africa - France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan believes that his side is made up of individuals with no teamwork after a 2-0 defeat to Mexico put it on the verge of elimination from the World Cup.

France's abject performance followed a lackluster 0-0 draw against Uruguay, and France seems certain to be eliminated from the group stages for the second successive major tournament.

"The difference between us and Mexico yesterday, was that Mexico played collectively and we were 11 players," Toulalan said Friday.

Toulalan said France's players must simply show more pride because the time for excuses is long gone.

"We've three or four days left to figure out what went wrong. You can talk for a long time but it's the pitch that counts," he said. "But if we don't all make the effort for each other it's hard."

Toulalan will miss Tuesday's final group game against South Africa because he is suspended.

He received his yellow card for bringing down a Mexico player near the halfway line, after France striker Nicolas Anelka failed to track back when his weak free kick bounced back off Mexico's wall.

"It was the 44th minute. I had to do that foul," Toulalan said. "It was four against two and they were streaming forward."

Toulalan would not name any names, but feels several players are letting the team down.

"Everyone has to do their own self-analysis. I'm not going to do it for them," Toulalan said.

Uruguay and Mexico each have four points and need only a draw for both to qualify for the next round, while France must beat South Africa handsomely and hope one loses.

"We have to optimistic otherwise we might as well stop," Toulalan said. "We need to score a lot of goals. We have to believe in it, even though it's not down to us anymore."

France however, has scored only one goal in its last five matches in a major competition - failing to win a game when it was eliminated from the 2008 European Championship.

Asked how France is now supposed to become a team which scores goals, Toulalan was at a loss.

"That's a good question," he said. "We haven't had the answer for the time being."

- AP