Goalkeeper Eloy Room's 15 saves give Curaçao first World Cup point
Curaçao earned their first-ever point in a World Cup finals tournament by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw, thanks to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Eloy Room, who made 15 saves.
Historic point for Curaçao
Curaçao's national football team achieved a historic milestone on Saturday evening, playing to a 0-0 draw against Ecuador in Group E of the World Cup. This is the first point the small Caribbean nation has ever earned in a World Cup finals tournament.
Room becomes the hero
The main architect of the result was goalkeeper Eloy Room, who made 15 saves – the most in a single match (excluding extra time) since records began in 1966. Room also surpassed the previous record set by American Tim Howard in 2014.
Early in the game, Room saved from Enner Valencia, and later repeatedly denied Valencia, Gonzalo Plata, and Kevin Rodríguez. Ecuador's pressure increased in the second half, but Room continued to pull off miracles.
Curaçao had their chances too
Curaçao also had several opportunities to score. Tahith Chong failed to convert a promising counterattack, while Leandro Bacuna and Livano Comenencia could not beat Ecuador's goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez early in the second half. Moisés Caicedo blocked a shot from Jurgen Locadia.
Ecuador remain goalless
Ecuador failed to score for the second consecutive match in the tournament, while Curaçao, thanks to Room's heroics, kept alive their theoretical chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
The match took place in Kansas City, USA, and was refereed by Chinese official Ning Ma.
