"Qualifying is a magnificent achievement and it will help promote the sport back in the United States," he told BBC Sport Online.
"Americans are only happy with winners and they don't care how ugly it is as long as you win.
"The game could use a little bit of an injection at this point," added Sampson, who was head coach of the US team at France 98 and assistant coach to Bora Milutinovic for the 1994 tournament on home turf.
USA 94 was supposed to finally kick-start American enthusiasm in the game, but the sport remains dwarfed by America's big four passions - basketball, baseball, ice hockey and American football.
But Sampson, the first American-born coach to make the US national team staff, insists giant strides have still been made.