Folks, the standard of soccer played in North America is very low. Thats the primary reason its 'boring' on TV.

Because you are watching subpar North American soccer.

Try watching club football from Europe.

Given the choice between a skill player, or a good athlete, the good athlete will get chosen EVERY time in North America. And then you have the athletes brutalizing the skill players (two-footed tackles, coming in from behind, sloppy slide tackles, shoulder barges), the ref thinks it was "hard but clean" and makes no call.

Then the skill players either get injured, or leave the sport, because who wants to dribble if its going to end with your ankle being busted in two?

People HATE being dribbled, and most just don't have the self-control to accept it, without attempting a hard foul on the player who has just beat them.