Feb 6 (Reuters) - Former U.S. striker Jozy Altidore believes this summer's World Cup will silence doubters who claim soccer cannot compete with American football for the nation's attention, drawing parallels to the transformative impact of the 1994 tournament.
Speakingahead of Sunday's showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Altidore dismissed suggestions that soccer would struggle to gain traction despite the United States co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
"I think people pay attention too much to the critics," Altidore told Reuters on Friday.
"I think the '94 World Cup was a good example of how having the FIFA World Cup, what it can do to a community. Because from that, a league in the United States was birthed."
The 1994 World Cup led directly to the creation of Major League Soccer two years later, and Altidore predicted similar growth this time around.
"When I look at this summer, I see a similar event happening, where there's going to be a boom in interest and registration and involvement for young kids and people across the country," he said.
The former national team striker, who scored 42 goals in 115 appearances for the United States, said he is particularly excited to watch Haiti compete in their first World Cup in over 50 years when they face Scotland in Boston.
On the U.S. team's prospects under coach Mauricio Pochettino, Altidore was optimistic.
"I think Pochettino has done a great job, you know, coming into a new culture, a new environment, and really, putting his stamp on the team, getting them to play how he wants them to play," he said. "And I think the team is kind of ramping up at the right time and peaking at the right time."
Altidore, who won the MLS Cup with Toronto FC in 2017 and retired two years ago, said the biggest impact of the World Cup would come in youth development as parents watching the tournament encourage their children to play.
As for his Super Bowl pick, Altidore, who is now a minority owner in the Buffalo Bills, have his loyalties clear. "I would much rather see Buffalo in the Super Bowl," he said, before reluctantly choosing the Seahawks from Sunday's finalists.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in San Francisco; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
