After being routed 7-1 by Germany in the opening round, few expected Curaçao to recover, but late Saturday into Sunday it pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest shocks by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City. The result gave Curaçao its first ever point in a World Cup and kept alive the tiny Caribbean nation’s hopes of advancing.
The central figure was 36-year-old goalkeeper Eloy Room, who produced a sensational performance with 15 saves, the most by a goalkeeper in a 90-minute World Cup match since official records began in 1966. He repeatedly denied Enner Valencia, John Yeboah, Moisés Caicedo and others as Ecuador launched wave after wave of attacks.
Ecuador dominated most of the match and took 27 shots, including a strong chance for Valencia in the third minute, a near miss by Pedro Vite, and dangerous efforts from Gonzalo Plata and substitute attackers. Yet the team again lacked finishing power and could not beat Room. Curaçao, meanwhile, did more than defend, with Hernan Galíndez forced into a fine double save against Leandro Bacuna and Livano Comenencia, and Juninho Bacuna later threatening the Ecuadorian goal.
The draw leaves Curaçao, a country of 158,000 people, with its dream of reaching the knockout stage still alive. A win over Ivory Coast in the final group game could be enough to complete an unlikely Cinderella story. Ecuador, still without a win in the tournament, will likely need to upset Germany in its last match to have any chance of progressing. The game was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and was officiated by Ma Ning of China.
