Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced one of the most extraordinary individual performances in World Cup history to earn his country a famous 0-0 draw against Ecuador.
The 37-year-old Miami FC stopper made 15 saves across 90 minutes, equalling the record for most stops in a single World Cup match since records began in 1966.
Room’s heroics came against an Ecuador side ranked more than 50 places higher than Curacao in the FIFA world rankings, who were themselves desperate to bounce back after losing to Ivory Coast.
The tone was set inside the opening three minutes when Ecuador forward Enner Valencia raced clean through on goal, only for Room to anticipate the shot and claw it around the post.
That save, from around 10 yards out, proved to be the catalyst for a night that will be remembered forever by the tiny Caribbean island nation.
Only Tim Howard has matched Room’s 15-save tally in a single World Cup game, though Howard conceded twice in extra-time for the USA against Belgium in 2014, meaning he failed to keep a clean sheet.
BBC Sport pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was full of praise for the veteran keeper after the final whistle, struggling to contain his admiration for the performance.
“Take a bow, Room,” said Keown on BBC One after the 0-0 draw, adding: “Absolutely magnificent. The number of saves, you were almost getting a calculator out at the end of the game to count them up.”
“It just became a shopping list of saves. His reactions were first class. He seemed destined to keep a clean sheet all night,” Keown continued, summing up the feelings of all those watching inside Kansas City Stadium.
Room faced a total of 27 shots throughout the evening, with Ecuador registering an xG of 3.05, making the clean sheet all the more remarkable given the volume and quality of chances the South Americans created.
Born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Room played over 200 appearances across a decade in the Eredivisie, winning a league title with PSV and cup glory with Vitesse before moving to Columbus Crew in 2019.
He won the MLS Cup with Columbus Crew in 2020 and claimed the save-of-the-season award before eventually joining Miami FC, who compete in the second tier of American football.
Room, the oldest member of the Curacao squad, is known to love playing padel, with the goalkeeper believing the sport helps sharpen the reflexes that were so brilliantly on display against Ecuador.
It was former Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert, who managed Curacao in 2015, who convinced Room to represent the country where his father is from, a decision that has since paid enormous dividends.
Room also played a key role in securing Curacao’s World Cup qualification, making a crucial save in a 0-0 draw with Jamaica back in November that helped the Blue Wave reach football’s biggest stage.
With a population of just 156,000 and a land mass smaller than the Isle of Man, Curacao is the smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup, making their achievements even more extraordinary.
Dutch royalty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were among the 68,598 supporters inside Kansas City Stadium watching Dick Advocaat’s side claim this stunning result.
“This evening is all about Curacao and what they’ve done, what they’ve achieved and that will feel like a victory for them,” said Keown, adding: “It’s a foothold in world football. They didn’t come here to just make up the numbers — that is an outstanding result for them.”
Room himself was understandably emotional after the game, reflecting on a performance that has written his name into World Cup folklore.
“I still have to process myself,” Room said. “The match is full of emotions. I knew it was going to be a tough match. The first save, the tone was put in place, also for the team. It gave me confidence and I grew, we all grew, this was a team effort.”
Curacao now face Ivory Coast in their final Group E game, knowing that another historic result could see them advance to the last 32 of the tournament.
