Frank DeFord is an articulate and talented writer, but he is misguided when commenting on Soccer.
He cannot credibly remark on the sport, having never struck a ball in anger. He does not appreciate the technique and athleticism necessary to move the ball around the pitch. Conversely, I will wager that he has swung a baseball bat, shot a free throw, and thrown a football. He is sympathetic to these techniques.
Such lack of experiential knowledge leads to complaining for lack of scoring.
As we all know, the box score tells very little about a soccer match. Sportswriters hate that!