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The Indians who never had a penchant for shadowing the opposition strikers with a grounded stick now defend as cleanly as the best in the business while several Europeans sides who loved holding back for the most part now prefer to adopt a full press.
Tightening up at the back is now an absolute prerequisite to achieving consistent results at the highest level irrespective of the kind of firepower a team possesses up front - and the outcomes of recent competitions have re-emphasized the fact that outfits with a sound defence are the ones that win tournaments most often.
The art of avoiding PCs is just as vital to a team's fortunes as converting the short corners, and the ability to time a tackle to perfection and mop up cleanly under immense pressure is the hallmark of a seasoned defender.
While the galleries marvel at the exploits of the spectacular strikers, the staid and ice-cool players who perform the less extravagant task of scrupulously manning the back lines often go unnoticed.
The Germans who were impeccable in defence until not so long ago have not been performing too well of late and the Argentines seem to be missing the likes of Lucas Rossi and Juan Gilardi.
We take a look at three Pro League teams whose defences will be tough to breach in the upcoming edition.
#3 Australia
While defence may not be the primary trait that one would identify the marauding Australians with, a closer look at the numbers brings to light how good the Aussies are at plugging the gaps at the back while their strikers make merry at the other end of the field.
At the Pro League earlier this year, Colin Batch's team conceded the least number of goals in the competition - just 29 in 16 matches.
The Aussies deservingly won the Pro League, but the story wasn't any different at Odisha 2018 although the kookaburras had to settle for bronze at Bhubaneswar.
With just 4 goals against, the Australians were also the best defensive unit in the World Cup and the skills of Matt Dawson, Matthew Swann and co. make the Aussie defence one of the most impregnable fortresses in world hockey.
#2 The Netherlands
After a 1-6 loss to Australia in the final of the 2014 World Cup, the Dutch have transformed themselves into an attacking powerhouse but the defence continues to be as strong as ever.
Sander Baart was born in Belgium but has been the mainstay of the Netherlands defence for well over a decade now while Lars Balk, Glenn Schuurman, and Joep de Mol have a gift for keeping the best strikers in the world at bay.
At the Champions Trophy in Breda, the Dutch conceded just 7 goals in 5 matches - only India defended better with 6 goals against - while at the World Cup in 2018, the men at the back did well to ensure their side conceded only 8 goals in 7 matches en route to winning the silver medal.
It may well have been raining goals in the inaugural edition of the Pro League, but Max Caldas' side ended up with 38 goals against in 16 matches and were at their best at the EuroNations Cup as well.
Getting past the Dutch defence will be quite a challenge for all the teams in the Pro League when the 2020 edition gets underway in January.
#1 Belgium
No team, in recent times has climbed the rungs faster than the Belgian Red Lions who have stunned the hockey world with one incredible performance after another.
Displacing a team like Australia from the helm of world hockey is no mean feat and although the kookaburras have just about managed to regain the top spot in the world rankings, the rivalry continues to be intense as ever.
With a central defender of the calibre of Loick Luypaert in the team, the Red Lions can afford to venture deep into opposition territory without having to fret about potential counterattacks.
What happens when Luypaert isn't on the pitch?
The World Champions can boast of possessing one the most experienced defensive line ups in world hockey today.
Olympians Arthur Van Doren, Gauthier Boccard, and Alexander Hendrickx make sure that the most of the duels in and around the Belgian circle go the way of the Red Lions who conceded 33 goals in 16 matches in the first season of the Pro League.
At the World Cup in 2018, Shane McLeod's boys conceded 5 goals from 7 matches. The Aussies conceded one less than their arch-rivals but also played a match less since they did not have to go through the crossovers - and it will be interesting to see which of the two giants comes out on top in the 2020 edition of the Pro League.
