Ressurection Of A Dying Breed?

I thoroughly enjoyed this article about the plight of the "deep-lying midfielder" in soccer.

All I know is here in North America there's yet to be a real appreciation for players like Andrea Pirlo. Here, we tend to apply a "hockey" mentality to soccer tactics. We like to place emphasis on physicality and aggressive play. As long as you run (even if it's for nothing) and look like you're putting effort then you're more valuable than a player who deliberately slows down pace to create space; to orchestrate a midfield with proper vision and execution. Too slow for some!