OFFENSE IN SOCCER IS BEAUTIFUL; DEFENSE IS NOT. The Meichtry and Robinson article says that Didier Deschamps, the French coach, is blamed by many French fans for emphasizing defense: “A typical Deschamps victory is a low-scoring affair, where players clamp down on defense and keep attacking risks to a minimum.”
I would think that defense in soccer has a beauty of its own—players coordinating their movements in response to attacks. However, the lack of interest in defense is the same as in basketball. I posted here about how defensive excellence is underrated in basketball.