Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced one of the greatest individual performances in FIFA World Cup history as the Caribbean nation secured their first ever point at the finals with a remarkable 0-0 draw against Ecuador in Kansas City.
The veteran shot stopper delivered a record breaking display, making 15 saves, the highest ever recorded in a 90 minute FIFA World Cup match without extra time. His heroics frustrated an Ecuador side that dominated possession and created chance after chance, but simply could not find a way past the inspired goalkeeper.
Ecuador came close inside the opening three minutes when captain Enner Valencia burst through on goal, only for Room to make the first of many outstanding saves. John Yeboah, Pedro Vite, Gonzalo Plata and Valencia all tested the Curaçao keeper before the break, yet the score remained goalless thanks largely to Room’s extraordinary reflexes.
Curaçao offered occasional danger of their own, with Sherel Floranus firing wide before Livano Comenencia forced Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez into action. However, the match was largely played in the Caribbean side’s half as Ecuador piled on relentless pressure.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Moisés Caicedo, Plata, Kevin Rodríguez, Nilson Angulo and Piero Hincapié all came close as Ecuador continued to bombard the Curaçao goal. Room repeatedly denied them, reaching double figures for saves before eventually finishing with an unprecedented tally of 15.
Despite Ecuador’s dominance, Curaçao almost snatched victory themselves. Galíndez produced an excellent double save to deny Leandro Bacuna and Comenencia, while Juninho Bacuna also forced the Ecuador goalkeeper into action late in the game.
For Ecuador, the result leaves qualification hanging in the balance. After drawing another blank, they extended their winless FIFA World Cup run to four matches and will now likely need a positive result against Germany in their final Group E fixture to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
For Curaçao, however, the evening belonged to Room. Having suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat against Germany on their World Cup debut, Dick Advocaat’s side bounced back in historic fashion by keeping their first clean sheet at the tournament and collecting their maiden FIFA World Cup point.
Victory against Ivory Coast in their final group match could now complete another remarkable chapter in Curaçao’s football history by sending the Caribbean nation into the knockout rounds for the first time.
