Room the hero as tiny Curacao earn first World Cup point against Ecuador

Eloy Room’s unthinkable goalkeeping helped Curacao marque past successful a goalless gully successful Group E lucifer successful Kansas City.

Goalkeeper Eloy Room was Curacao’s leader against Ecuador, keeping retired a barrage of shots to assistance the tiny Caribbean federation assertion their first-ever World Cup constituent successful a goalless gully that keeps live their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.

Ecuador, who finished 2nd successful South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 connected target, but Room stood steadfast successful an astonishing show successful Kansas City connected Saturday.

His 15 saves are the astir connected record, since 1966, by immoderate goalkeeper successful a World Cup lucifer that did not diagnostic other time.

World Cup debutants Curacao, the smallest federation by colonisation ever to suffice for the tournament, slumped to a 7-1 decision against Germany successful their opening lucifer but restored pridefulness successful the American Midwest.

Ecuador fans turned the Arrowhead Stadium, the location of NFL squad Kansas City Chiefs, yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curacao.

But Curacao had royalty connected their broadside successful the signifier of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The land is an autonomous state wrong the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch manager Dick Advocaat, 25 were calved successful the Netherlands, and astir play their shot there.

The lucifer started astatine a fizzing pace.

Ecuador seemed definite to unfastened the scoring successful the 3rd infinitesimal erstwhile erstwhile West Ham guardant Enner Valencia burst done the middle, but Room tipped the shot astir the post.

Sherel Floranus fired implicit astatine the different extremity arsenic Curacao showed their gait connected the break.

Valencia failed to bushed Room from adjacent scope earlier Jordy Alcivar had an effort arsenic Ecuador continued to predominate possession.

The South American squad ended the archetypal fractional with 65 percent of possession but thing to amusement for their dominance.

They went adjacent to breaking the deadlock conscionable earlier the hr mark, but Room kept retired a Gonzalo Plata header, earlier a flurry of Curacao chances.

Ecuador’s Enner Valencia heads towards the extremity arsenic Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room, right, defends [Reed Hoffmann/AP Photo]

Ecuador, much than 50 places higher than Curacao successful the FIFA rankings, looked progressively frazzled arsenic they pressed for a goal.

As the lucifer neared its end, chances continued to travel heavy and fast, but Room stood firm.

Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado mis-hit a transverse that bounced disconnected the apical of the crossbar and went behind.

The Curacao players swarmed astir Room astatine the extremity of the match, celebrating an bonzer point.

Earlier, four-time champions Germany came from down to bushed Ivory Coast 2-1 successful Toronto, ensuring their qualification for the circular of 32. Curacao’s gully ensures Germany volition apical the group.

Ecuador volition play Germany connected Thursday, portion Curacao instrumentality connected Ivory Coast.

Curacao fans observe aft the lucifer [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]