Well France have got that way under Bergeroo leaving the attacking style in the past and putting emphasis on the fitness etc. From the interviews Bini gave to the French medias it was more like trying to turn a disciplined and defensive side into a more attacking flamboyant one.
The USWNT have proved that the less technical, but more athletic and physical style is what WINS. They have won 7 of the 12 major tournaments (WWC and Olympics). That's more than the rest of the world COMBINED. You won't find that on the men's side. Germany has won 2 of 12 combined. USA, 7 of 12 combined for World Cup & Olympic titles. Not to mention, the USWNT have 10 Algarve Cup titles (most of anyone), and would have been 11 this year. Instead, they are the only winners of the new prestigious SheBelieves Cup, featuring 4 of the Top 5 FIFA teams. Add it all up, and it's the style that wins, as noted by other nations now. When the USWNT did not win in 2003, 2007, and 2011, the rest of the world was still skeptical. But now the USWNT are defending World Cup and Olympic champions, and defending SheBelieves champions. They are also the defending Algarve Cup champions (the most recent time they were in the tournament). Even Canada (another CONCACAF, and athletic/physical team instead of skilled) won the Algarve Cup this year. You've heard of the phrase, "if you can't beat em', join em". If you can't beat that style of play, you might as well join that style of play. You'll see more teams across the world start to shift their line of thinking. But not everyone has an Alex Morgan. And it helps to have young talent like Mallory Pugg (as the Germans call her).
If you watch the more recent USWNT games I think you can notice that the ladies are becoming a more technical team overall with each new addition into the squad. There is a minimum balance between athletic ability and skill that a player must have in order to be successful at the highest level of competition. The Japanese squad, that just flamed out of Olympic Qualifying, has fantastic individual skills, but the lack in strength and speed ultimately cost them in the end. The new goalie for Japan had the desired measurables for the position, but she lacked the fast twitch muscles needed to defend her net. On the other end of the spectrum their are teams, like Trinidad & Tobago, that have physically gifted individuals, but they lack the skills that are required to perform against the top nations. I would hold off comparing Pugh to Marta. If Marta played for the USWNT she would be the greatest goal scorer of all time and probably would have the most assists.
Pugh is not being compared to Marta as an overall player. Just in that they have some similarities in their sick moves on the pitch. That's it, nothing more.
the one complained by previous posters was the US uses it's physical attributes in winning with more quicker paced, direct style(instead of a thinking man's game). But I've seen more & more other NT's switch over to the American way of thinking. This AFC tourney proved partially that; several of the goals came from pressing up high and you could see that the first 3 teams that played Japan, did their homework and studied the first 15 min. of the WC, and saw how the Nadeshiko are vulnerable to turnovers since they like to start their passing so low. Don't think Ellis has moved the team technically too far except for switching to a diamond type midfield. Due to woso's popularity in this country however, we produce so many better technically individual players than anybody else. Just watching one of the streamlined games from the Australian W-League, the two Americans on the Newcastle team. Dydesco & Oyster(both on loan from the WA Spirits), played with so much more superior technical flair than any of the Australians from either side(who seemed more at home with the kick n run game). A smart but petite, play making midfielder, Dydesco would feel well at home with any of the more technically ambiguous teams like Germany & Japan. Oyster too me has it all as a cb. Too go along with her athleticism, just got perfect timing with her tackles and knows exactly when to take runs into the opposing side, while still getting back to defend expertly enough against any quick counter attacks. Oyster could play & start for any NT in the world, well all except one, the USWNT, and that's because we all ready have similar cb's in place like Johnston & Sonnett.