sorry, i couldn't resist... 8^)
There is a lot more contact in soccer than there is in baseball or basketball.
Football and hockey have more contact, but they also have elaborate exoskeletons built around the players.
Soccer has probably has the highest ratio of contact to protective gear of any major sport (unless you consider rugby a major sport, which is a separate conversation).
But that isn't the most glaring flaw in your analysis. It's this:
Why is a game more "manly" if it is easier to score goals rather than more difficult?
sorry, i couldn't resist... 8^)Agree with all the points you made and well stated.
I’d also add that Soccer (apart from iron man marathons and races like the Tour de France ) undoubtedly has the best conditioned athletes in all sports.
Football, baseball - the guys sit on their butts half the game and then there are commercial time outs and endless reviewing of the plays . . . . and on and on.