“The human condition is marred by a short attention span and thus a lack of historical context. Not recognizing this flaw is what leads each generation to automatically believe that now is the best time to be alive, and place zero value in those who have preceded it. Similarly, not having a full appreciation of the drawbacks and benefits of a certain time in our past can also breed a shallow nostalgia that cloaks fear of change in a more tolerable desire for the “good old days”. Such a cultural battle between futurists and nostalgists has been playing out in the global soccer community since the game’s earliest days, and has only been accelerated during the globalization of the sport over the last several decades. Thus, it is with great caution that I state we are embarking on what may come to be viewed as a golden age for long form soccer writing.” Forbes