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Bill Connelly
Multiple Authors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made a remarkable 15 saves, matching the men’s World Cup record, to secure the tiny Caribbean nation’s first World Cup point in a 0-0 stalemate against the heavily favored Ecuador on Saturday.
The 37-year-old Room rebounded impressively from a tough first match where he conceded seven goals to Germany, showcasing one of the greatest goalkeeping performances in World Cup history.
“This is going to be an unforgettable memory,” Room stated. “You don’t think about it as you’re doing it, but I’m sure I’ll reflect on this moment. For me as a goalkeeper, this is nearly a perfect game.”
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Room’s impressive save count ties him for the most in a World Cup game since saves were officially recorded in 1966, matching Tim Howard’s performance with the United States against Belgium in 2014.
Although FIFA recognizes Howard’s record at 16 saves, some sources, including ESPN’s data provider StatsPerform, note one of those as off-target.
Room’s 15 saves mark the highest for a goalkeeper achieving a shutout and stand alone as the most for a World Cup match that did not go into extra time.
“I’m slightly annoyed I didn’t surpass Tim Howard’s record, but I like to think he was sweating in front of the TV watching me come this close,” remarked Room, a former MLS Cup champion with the Columbus Crew, now playing for Miami FC in the USL Championship.
“But this is incredible. It’s a team effort; I couldn’t have done it alone. My defenders, midfielders, and strikers played crucial roles as well.”
Howard’s spectacular display led to recognition from then-U.S. President Barack Obama and earned him the nickname “Secretary of Defense.”
Room already has a vision for his own honor. “I think I deserve a statue back in Curaçao now,” he said with a grin.
Notably, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were in attendance, having watched the Dutch team overpower Sweden earlier that day. Being a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao has the royals as their heads of state.
“They were even dancing in our locker room after the match,” Room added. “It’s incredible that they witnessed our game.”
Among the Ecuador-supporting crowd at the Kansas City Chiefs’ home stadium were players from the Kansas City Royals, including Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Starling Marte.
Ecuador registered a staggering 28 shots, with 15 on target, marking the most attempts in a men’s World Cup match that ended without a goal since at least 1966.
“In football, there are inexplicable moments,” reflected Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece after the match. “The score speaks for itself, and any further explanation might seem like an excuse. Today, we needed a win, and it eluded us.”
Room set the stage early, stopping an Enner Valencia breakaway in the third minute, and then thwarting him again in the 20th minute.
As Ecuador escalated their efforts in the second half, Room made crucial saves against Gonzalo Plata in the 59th minute, Valencia again in the 65th minute, and substitute Kevin Rodríguez in the 66th minute.
In total, Ecuador’s shots added up to an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.08.
Conversely, despite only facing three shots on goal, Ecuador’s goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez made critical saves against efforts from Leandro Bacuna and Livano Comenencia—the latter having scored against Germany—to maintain the stalemate.
As the match progressed, Ecuador appeared to grow frustrated, and Curaçao fortified their defense as the end approached.
The last shot on target for Ecuador came in the 80th minute, which meant Room didn’t get a chance to break the record, but he deemed it a fair exchange for achieving Curaçao’s first World Cup point.
“You can see how far we’ve come, practically from nothing,” Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat said. “To come here and play an away match in front of 60,000 fans and draw 0-0 fills you with pride.”
The draw is a crushing blow for Ecuador, who will likely need to secure a win against Germany on Thursday in East Rutherford, New Jersey if they hope to progress to the knockout stages. Curaçao faces a similar fate against Ivory Coast, but even without advancement, their inaugural World Cup journey has already been remarkable.
“The first match affected me far more because we lost 7-1,” Advocaat reflected. “However, the fans welcomed our players with incredible enthusiasm. After such a result, you’d expect boos, but instead, we received the opposite.
“Today, the team gave back something to those supporters, and that was a beautiful moment.”
This report also includes contributions from the Associated Press and ESPN Research.