I love the sport- and it's only 'soccer' in a few countries in the world that absolutely and historically suck at it at an international men's level (US and Canada, New Zealand Australia and the exception Ireland). We are so poor at the game that the US mens national team couldn't reliably beat the upper half of 2nd division English clubs. Iceland is better than the US at 'soccer', 3rd world countries in South America, Africa and Asia mop the floor with us and they grow up with nothing. Re: penalty kicks they only settle games in a small % of the time. In regular season play and tournament early rounds the games can end in a draw which clearly doesn't translate to our winner take all mentality. We simply don't have the patience or interest to allow a draw however in American football can see a NFL team have a crap season- even a losing one and run the table and be declared champion. Basketball does the same, baseball too. In football you win the league title because of your effort all season. What's your solution in a game that may have a 3-3 score that's tied at the end of a must win game? You can't play all night... I know Hockey finals do it but they have substitutes and play 60 second shifts.
In simple terms our country doesn't appreciate football / soccer because it isn't a high scoring in your face ordeal. It takes patience to appreciate the build up of an attack, the varied formations, the absolute precision it requires to handle a ball with feet vs hands. One player can rarely win a game like in basketball where a player can score 50+ points and dominate. It is truly a team sport. 3 players can be brought in for 3 that go off for the entire game... No going back in. Out of subs? Too bad. No breathers and back in and no playing for an average of 6 seconds then stopping for 30 seconds like American football with a side line of 50+ players a third who rarely play and divisions of offense and defense who at times get to do nothing for 10-20 minutes at a stretch.
That said, I very much enjoy basketball and college football.
"Soccer" has it's flaws, flopping is being addressed but sucks and any fan knows the floppers and the refs do to. It has diminishef greatly in the English game but is still prevalent in other leagues. Basketball has as much flopping as 'soccer' but no one admits it. It also hurts like a B**** to get hit with a flying cleat anywhere on the un padded body so most couch potatos who see a 'soccer' player fall down assume they are flopping and throw their pork rinds at the TV while they themselves pull muscles after a sneeze much less any physical exertion whatsoever.
They have addressed the flaws of VAR (replay) which only just started being used. They have tweaked it such that the games flow and the ref let's the play continue. Not understanding offsides as a complaint is just lazy. It prevents cherry picking and is really dead simple to understand once you get it. In American football there are alot more questionable fouls and flag. Refs in 'soccer' make mistakes but to call it out as more flawed than refereeing in American football is just dumb.
To each their own, pretty sure JC preached that or some translated / paraphrased and reinterpretted version of it. I get it if you don't like it but what is the point of tearing down a game simply because you don't prefer it? IMO Nascar is laughable to be referred to as a sport and is a ridiculous waste of resources but thats my opinion and I'm not going on a diatribe as to why I don't like it. See how opinions work?