Galaxy’s Donovan saves U.S. World Cup hopes with heart-stopping second half stoppage time winner

U.S. 1 Algeria 0

i-1e351c5a87064756ece651d23cb6485c-magicmomentld.jpgThe magic moment: Landon Donovan’s boyhood dream comes true – scoring a tournament-saving goal in the World Cup finals (AP Photo).

The U.S. tops the group in the most unlikely fashion, while England also qualify, beating Slovenia, 1-0

Justice is done. The U.S. were seconds away from crashing out of the World Cup on another bad call – a disallowed 21st minute Clint Dempsey goal wrongly called offside as television replays showed.

i-5afc5c25c392397e69342c753aed02f2-Landongoalcelebration.jpg

“I’ve been on a long journey for the last four years,” said a sobbing Landon Donovan, right, on ESPN. “I’m shocked and I’m so proud of our guys – unbelievable.”

“They were pushing a lot to try to score. We had to take a lot of risks…Time kind of stopped,” he said of the goal. “You can’t miss from there.”

We embody what Americans are all about,” he added. “We can moan about it or we can get on with it and we got on with it. We believe.

“These guys put a lot into it – they never quit,” U.S. Coach Bob Bradley told ESPN.

England-Slovenia game story here.

Does a rematch with 2006 World Cup opponents Ghana loom from Group D? Not only is the U.S. likely to avoid Germany in the round of 16 with the win (assuming Germany wins the group), the winner of Uruguay-South Korea awaits in the quarter final. Fancy the U.S. chances with those potential match-ups? All the permutations from Group D are here.

Congratulations to Redlands’ own Landon Donovan, who had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but the nation’s greatest-ever player was there to do exactly what needed to be done and finish off the tensest U.S. game ever.

Tweeted U.S. Soccer after the game:

President Clinton visiting with the team in the locker room.. said he was proud of the amazing effort and even led a #USA United States #USA United States chant!

And:

Weezer’s Represent blaring in the #USMNT locker room right now… guys are going nuts!

Time to flood radio stations with a certain song request (that’s worth reposting).

Photo gallery of the U.S. win here.

Tweeted Fontana’s own Maurice Edu:

“Omg! What a game!! Couldn’t be more happy n proud!! Never want this feeling to end! I know u guys are with us too!! Let’s go!”

Former Galaxy and Chivas USA striker Alecko Eskandarian’s take on the U.S. victory.

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About Nick Green

South Bay-based Los Angeles News Group soccer columnist and blogger Nick Green writes at the 100 Percent Soccer blog at www.insidesocal.com/soccer and craft beer at the Beer Goggles blog at www.insidesocal.com/beer. Cheers!