LOS ANGELES: US football fans erupted in celebration across the country Thursday as their team reached the next round of the World Cup, fueling a surge of popularity for a sport struggling to gain a foothold. Crowds gathered in bars, pubs and in front of open-air big screens nationwide to watch Team USA battle Germany — a losing effort for the Americans, but enough to move on in the tournament in Brazil. Football mania even appeared to hit Wall Street, where trading volumes were down about 10 percent during the game, which started at noon on the US East Coast — the perfect excuse for long lunch breaks. And President Obama hailed the US team’s progress to the next round, saying: “We could not be prouder of them.They are defying the odds and earned a lot of believers in the process.” In Los Angeles, it was beer for breakfast at the German-themed Red Lion pub, where fans from the two countries gathered for the match, which sent both nations through to the final 16. “It’s pretty impressive, given that we’re not a soccer country at all,” Zach Fuhr, 23, told AFP, clutching a liter glass of beer in the packed…