There are outliers in every pool. Some Freepers no doubt champion tiddly-winks, and water polo.
The genesis of American soccer in the 1970s was pretty straightforward to anyone who was there: suburban, europhilic, Volvo driving types. That doesn’t make them the authorities on what association football in the U.S. is about, it just left a legacy and stereotype of “American soccer” which will take some time and new blood to surmount.
LOL--much like there are people who look at the shallow end and surmise the entire pool is "safe."