Yes, but do you think (I don’t know, not knowing the game) that tossing the ball into play is a big deal? The fact that the goalies can use their hands does not seem important to me in that they represent just a tiny fraction of the players, all of whom cannot use their hands—aside from the minor point above.
I mean, contrast that with baseball in which the players both throw the ball, catch the ball, and hit the ball by use of their hands, all of them. I think that it’s ludicrous to think of soccer as skilled when they are tasked with running down a field and kicking a rather large ball; contrast that with someone holding a bat and trying to hit a small object traveling at speeds in the area of 100 mph, without knowledge of whether the pitch will be thrown with tremendous velocity, off-speed, curving, dipping, all the tricks of the pitcher, who is fairly close to the batter.
I see no parallel in the skills displayed. But then again, the two of us probably wouldn’t agree on much of anything in terms of sports.
Of course, soccer, like any sport (even if I dislike it) is skilled.
Soccer players have to pass at speed, control the ball at speed, go past the opposition, cross the ball, shoot, all this asacurately as they can, again, at speed. And the higher levels of the sport demands all this be done at top speed. And all this whilst the opposition is trying to sop you, by fair means or foul.
You try passing a perfect long pass at speed 30-70 yards downfield, you try to dribble past players at speed whilst retaining complete control of the ball, you try to get past players and shoot or cross for a teammate. Again, all this at speed and whilst multiple members of the opposition, all equally as fit and big as you, some bigger, are trying to stop you.
Soccer takes great skill. And top soccer takes skill only 1 in 10000 will have to make it as a top professional.