I’ve not seen any of the games yet, but from the scores it looks like they’ve been fairly competitive so far? Is that right? I don’t think it’s good for the women’s game when there are regular drubbings at major tournaments.
There's a big gap between the teams made up of full-time pros and the rest. But we are now seeing more teams who have a couple of pro players and semipro players (often playing abroad) alongside home based talent.
You've also got national FAs like Ireland who having qualified were able to give their players short-term pro contracts. That means they can at least arrive fully fit and well drilled and they're training with pro coaches, even if most of the players aren't getting regular practice against strong opposition.
The number of players, teams snd leagues is on the rise as well in most countries, so the talent pool is starting to deepen. Even so, for a team like Zambia, Haiti or the Philippines this is a big leap.
Zambia lost their first choice keeper and one of their best players immediately before the tournament. Their manager is under investigation for sexual misconduct. Fair to say, they haven't had the best buildup.