Curacao's World Cup hero Room becomes immortal

Curacao, the smallest nation at the World Cup, had been demolished 7-1 by Germany in their tournament debut and everyone expected them to lose again, maybe not that heavily this tine, against Ecuador last night.

Alas, their goalkeeper Eloy Room had other plans. The veteran keeper, 37, produced an astonishing 15 saves to earn Curacao a historic 0-0 draw and their first-ever World Cup point. According to Opta, no goalkeeper has made more saves in 90 minutes of World Cup football since records began in 1966!

Only former United States goalkeeper Tim Howard has matched that total, making 15 saves against Belgium in 2014. The difference is that Howard needed extra time and still conceded twice. Room reached the same figure in regulation time while keeping a clean sheet.

"I expect to get a statue in Curacao," he joked afterwards.

"I wasn't thinking about the record during the game, but I imagine Tim Howard was sweating at home while watching."

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The numbers were staggering. Ecuador dominated possession, registered 27 shots, and posted an xG of more than 3. Yet they could not find a way past the man standing between the posts.

"Room played the game of his life tonight," admitted Ecuador custodian and Room's counterpart Hernan Galindez after the game.

"It was simply impossible to get the ball past him."

Born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Room spent most of his career in Dutch football, making more than 200 Eredivisie appearances for Vitesse and PSV Eindhoven. He won a league title with PSV, lifted the Dutch Cup with Vitesse and later moved to Major League Soccer, where he helped Columbus Crew win the MLS Cup in 2020.

Today, he plays for Miami FC in the second tier of American football.

Only a few weeks ago, he was turning out in front of crowds that barely filled a corner of the stadium. One league match this season attracted just 713 spectators. Against Ecuador, he performed in front of almost 70,000 fans and wrote his name into World Cup history.

Curiously, this was not even the first time Room had produced 15 saves in an international match. He achieved the same feat against Honduras at the 2019 Gold Cup, further evidence of his remarkable ability to elevate his game in a Curacao shirt.

His connection with the Caribbean island began in 2015 when Patrick Kluivert took charge of the national team. The Dutch legend personally called him and convinced him to represent the country of his father's birth.

"He told me: 'You'll be my starting goalkeeper. I see you as a leader for future generations.'"

Those words proved prophetic.

Since then, Room has become one of the most important figures in Curacao football history. He played a crucial role in securing qualification for the World Cup, making a decisive save in a goalless draw against Jamaica that sealed their place at the tournament.

After conceding seven times against Germany, many expected them to be little more than spectators for the remainder of the tournament. However...

"The first save against Ecuador set the tone," he reflected afterwards.

"It gave me confidence, and it gave confidence to the team. We kept fighting until the very last minute. To earn a point like this for Curacao is something special."

The celebrations reflected the magnitude of the achievement. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who had attended the match and supported Curacao from the stands, later joined the players in the dressing room.

"It was incredible," Room said. "They danced with us to our Caribbean music and the Queen kissed me on the cheek. This is a night I will remember for the rest of my life."