Americans are embracing their newest superhero: Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, whose pluck and one-man defiance in an excruciating World Cup loss electrified his home nation.

Memes featuring the 35-year-old Howard exploded on the Internet, politicians - even the president - clamored to praise him and Wikipedia trolls momentarily named him US secretary of defense after his record 16 saves against Belgium on Tuesday.

The buzz over that stunt became so loud that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called his on-pitch doppelganger "to thank him for defending the United States of America at the World Cup".