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U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel calls U.S. goalie Tim Howard

Danielle Elliot

For complete World Cup 2014 coverage visit Yahoo Sports and follow @YahooSoccer

On Wednesday, U.S Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called U.S. goalkeeper and newly-annointed hero Tim Howard to "thank him for defending the USA," the Defense Department posted on Twitter.

Talk about the power of Twitter. Shortly after Tim Howard made 16 saves in the USA's 2-1 loss to Belgium, a fan rushed to Wikipedia to change the entry for the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

The page briefly said Howard was Sec. of Defense.
The page briefly said Howard was Sec. of Defense.

Hagel has been the Sec. of Defense since Feb. 27, 2013, but for a few brief moments Tuesday, the entry said that Howard reports directly to President Obama and is a member of the National Security Council. It was soon fixed and locked. Overnight, a screenshot of the edited page was tweeted and retweeted more than 40,000 times.

[Related: Human wall Tim Howard sets World Cup record in U.S. loss to Belgium]

Howard's 16 saves were the most ever by one goalie in a World Cup game. In a press release, the Defense Department said Hagel congratulated Howard on his record-setting performance and invited the U.S. national team to visit the Pentagon.

[Photos: The highs and lows of being a Team USA fan]

He didn't offer him the job, but, according to the release, “He told Howard that with some training, he could someday become the real Secretary of Defense.”

Whether he's ready for the role, fans already started a White House petition to name him as Sec. of Defense.

“We, the undersigned, hereby petition for the appointment of Timothy Matthew 'Tim' Howard, Goalkeeper and MVP of the USMNT, king of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, to the office of U.S. Secretary of Defense for acts of valor and general badassery during the 2014 World Cup,” it reads.

[Photos: Relive Tim Howard’s incredible World Cup performance]

Earlier in the day, when a member of the media asked White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest about the Wikipedia post, he said, "Unfortunately I can't claim credit for that brilliant idea that was manifested on Wikipedia. But I think even Secretary Hagel would agree with me that Tim Howard demonstrated an ability to repel an opponent's attacks with remarkable courage and bravery and athleticism yesterday."

There's something we can all agree on.

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