PARIS — The most lopsided match in World Cup history shined a merciless light on the vast gulf between the world’s top-ranked women’s soccer team and its 34th. But neither the United States’ 13-0 rout of Thailand nor whatever unfolds when the defending World Cup champions take on 39th-ranked Chile Sunday in Paris should be interpreted as a bellwether for what lies ahead for the Americans.
Even if the 2019 U.S. Women’s World Cup team is as formidable as its victorious predecessors in 1991, 1995 and 2015, its road to the tournament’s final weekend is likely to be far more difficult, given the rise of women’s soccer in Europe.