but the directionality of play is the detractor.

It’s hard for them to grasp backwards passing etc. soccer is a live development of intuition, rather than set plays and stoppage.

Hockey has helped, but the size of the playing surface keeps the action going so fast you don’t want to turn away from the game.

I don't think passing it back to the goalie is what's making people not watch soccer. It's more of less the same as a big who kicks it back out to the point guard to reset the play. Yes, the players never kick it out all the way back to the other endline in basketball, but I'm not sure it sooo different from hockey and basketball that the directionality is impossible to grasp.

Of course maybe those same fans (*cough* american football fans *cough*) you speak of are also befuddled by basketball and hockey too, and then yes, they are too obtuse to ever like soccer.
But I would think Offsides, what determines a yellow vs red card, when is a last man tackle a penalty and a red card vs just a foul and replay are tough things to grasp.

it’s the common complaint I hear from Americans I talk to who don’t like soccer.

I can't imagine how the kickout pass in basketball is THAT much different unless they are purposely trying not to understand the game, which is probably true. For F*#$'s sake, you can backward pass in Football all you want, in order to change the field when you want to disrupt the defense for a long run. It's the same for a reversal in order to get some misdirection. I'm afraid you are not speaking to smart people

shut the fuck up.

I agree with all of this and do notice that set plays seem to get a disproportionate amount of attention as well in the USA.

The difference is the story and watching history. People aren't tuning into the action of a 1 hitter.

And neither situation includes a compelling story that keeps people tuned in

Chicks dig the long ball!!!!