I'm biased in favor of soccer, as that was the game that I grew up playing, but I think it's a different beast entirely from a hypothetical hockey game with low

I'm biased in favor of soccer, as that was the game that I grew up playing, but I think it's a different beast entirely from a hypothetical hockey game with low scoring because most shots just bounce off the goalie. The goalkeeper in soccer (as the article points out) has a much larger space to guard, and this provides opportunity showcasing ability. Both for the shooter and the keeper, as well as other defenders who can make impressive saves without the use of hands. Fans like showcases of ability. There are boring soccer games, just as there are boring hockey games and boring basketball games. But to me, a well-played soccer game is exciting almost all of the time. A goal can be scored from essentially anywhere on the pitch (much like basketball) and there are an enormous number of possible strategies to make this happen. This article seems to indicate that there is only one viable strategy just at the minute, and that's detrimental to the game. I don't really care much about hockey, and I'm not well educated on it, but I bought the argument.