Pushed down your throat? Really? By whom? I'm an American and it's not alien to me and it wasn't pushed down my throat. On the contrary. I had to actively seek-out live soccer coverage in the US. The only way to do that 5 years ago was to cancel my cable subscription, get DirecTV, and pay extra for Fox Sports World (now FSC).
As for soccer being alien: I wanted to play soccer when I was a kid (Calif. 1970's). I ran track growing up and hated standing around the outfield of a baseball diamond waiting for a fly ball to come my way every few innnings. Soccer was a natural for me. So much so that I played AYSO and club soccer until I finished college.
To each his own I guess.