SYDNEY -- If there's a catchphrase that sums up the 2023 Women's World Cup, it's one you've probably been hearing since the opening round of games: The gap is closing.
What does that mean? In short, the difference in quality between the top-ranked teams in the tournament and the lowest-ranked teams has gotten smaller and smaller. As a result, we've been treated to a Women's World Cup that is far more exciting, more competitive and more unpredictable than ever before.
Some of the strongest evidence that women's soccer is growing, of course, came at the expense of the back-to-back champion U.