Steel Roses 'need time' to fully blossom

"We have no advantages now. Many other countries have started to focus on the women's game - especially certain European countries that boast a strong tradition in the men's game and professional leagues. They can use their experience to boost the development of their female teams.

"Especially in the past four years, women's soccer in Europe has grown so fast.

"The Steel Roses are growing, but not fast enough compared with others. We have to accept and recognize the position of our team in Asia and the world. They need some time."

Despite coming in for some criticism in France, head coach Jia Xiuquan can claim some progress after steering China to silver at last year's Asian Games.

That feat was far from his mind on Wednesday, however, as the 56-year-old wondered what might have been.

"This was our best shot to reach the quarterfinals but we could not make it," said Jia.

"Playing a top international tournament is always a good opportunity for us to see the gap between us and the world's powerhouses.

"During this year there were ups and downs, but I can see all of the players tried their best to make a difference.

"I have not thought about if I want to quit the role or not.

"We should not just remember the old glory days. After the World Cup, the only thing we can do is to try harder.

"It will take generations to level up the strength of Chinese women's soccer. I cannot finish the job all by myself."

Many critics argue that only by making fundamental changes to how women's soccer is organized and coached can China hope to return to the elite ranks.

"We have to be fair - the Steel Roses tried their best and showed their spirit, but it's very obvious that our players' skill levels have huge room for improvement," said Gao Yuan, director of the soccer education and research department at Capital University of Physical Education and Sports in Beijing.

"The players' problems can be traced back to youth training. Especially, in women's soccer, there still are many challenges. In many cases, the trainers themselves are not professional enough.

"Also, there are not enough quality matches for all levels of women's soccer.

"Some university teams maybe train a whole year, and they only have one tournament to play every 12 months."

The Chinese Football Association has acknowledged that such changes are needed and is rolling out a number of initiatives to give women's soccer a jolt - including making it mandatory for all Chinese Super League clubs to have an affiliated female team, starting in 2020.