The last time England was this excited about a World Cup was almost 20 years ago, in the summer of 1998, in France. They entered the finals with the so-called "golden generation" hitting their prime, including David Beckham and his famous Manchester United cohort. Little did fans know that another star, Michael Owen, was waiting in the wings, bursting onto the scene with a wonder goal against Argentina. It was to no avail, but it was the last time England really competed before they were left behind by a footballing revolution … until this year.
I know this because long before my colleague Chris Woodcock joined our fintech firm, he played professional football in England. And, no matter which season it is or major event is midcompetition, sports is something we talk about every day in our office. Just as competitive athletes seek constant improvement — not only through practice, but by examining and re-examining their patterns of play — professional investors are now embracing data analytics to become fitter, stronger, better disciplined and, one hopes, less prone to mistakes.