Nail-biting soccer fans watching their US side in a must-win World Cup match across the ocean in South Africa burst into euphoric rapture on Wednesday when the team scored a last-gasp winning goal.

Several hundred football faithful who gathered at Lucky Bar, just blocks from the White House, erupted in cheers, tears, and chants of "USA! USA!" after midfield hero Landon Donovan slotted home a rebound in extra time to beat Algeria 1-0, sending the Americans roaring into the second round.

"Divine justice!" bellowed Matthew Mullen moments after the final whistle.

"Missing out on the second round because of two disallowed goals would have been too much to bear," the 24-year-old native Washingtonian told AFP.

He was referring to a potential late game-winner by Maurice Edu that was disallowed for unexplained reasons in the second US match, against Slovenia, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

A US score in the first half of the Algeria match was called back for offsides, but replays showed the player to be even with the defender, sparking howls of outrage and unprintable epithets hurled at the bar's two dozen TV screens.

But fans, nervous as they were until the goal, largely kept their composure, as they have throughout the tournament despite some testy matches including the US opener versus England.

"In the bar it's always electric," said Lucky owner Paul Lusty of Wales.

"We haven't had any incidents," he said, tapping the wood panelling, "but we're not through it all yet."

Caleb Shoenhard, 26, nursing an early morning beer, recalled American reaction to the bad referee call in the Slovenia match, saying it could easily sour Americans on a sport they have taken only a tepid interest in.

"But because there is still hope for the US to go through there is still the Cinderella possibility," he said, minutes before Donovan's winner.

"It didn't kill interest. It could have boosted it."

Minutes later, the Americans were top of Group C, and die hard fans spilled out onto the street, startling passersby who appeared unaware of what just happened.

Despite the prime morning hour in workaholic Washington, Lucky Bar was filled shoulder to shoulder with Americans - and several Britons - who said they were skipping out from the office or taking the day off to watch the matches, including England's 1-0 victory over Slovenia.

One magazine staffer in a US team jersey said she called in sick.

"Then on my way here I crossed the street in front of a black BMW, and sitting at the steering wheel was my boss," said the 23-year-old who asked not to be named.

One twenty-something office worker said he was "silently cheering in my office" when Donovan scored.

Many Americans aren't even aware that the United States are a soccer power, he said.

"Hopefully this game will help the US take one more step toward proving that we are better than England."

Twitter exploded with messages about the match after Donovan's late goal.

"Go USA! Yeahhhhhh!!!!!!" wrote Hollywood star Demi Moore on her Twitter feed @mrskutcher.

"Landon Donovan for President?" asked @mikemadden.

The World Cup mania even infiltrated the White House, threatening to trump the breaking news of under-fire US General Stanley McChrystal who was meeting President Barack Obama over disparaging remarks in a magazine article.

A CNN correspondent at the White House tweeted that when she asked spokesman Robert Gibbs about the McChrystal meeting, Gibbs responded: "The US won, it was a great game."

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