Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room produced a historic performance on Saturday, thwarting a relentless Ecuadorian attack to secure a 0-0 draw and earn his nation their first-ever World Cup point.

The result, achieved through a series of heroic saves at Arrowhead Stadium, keeps the Caribbean nation’s hopes of reaching the knockout phase alive.

Ecuador, having finished second in South American qualifying, dominated the match with 28 total shots, 15 of which were on target.

However, Room stood firm in an “astonishing display,” recording 15 saves—the most by any goalkeeper in a World Cup match without extra time since 1966.

For Curacao, the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for a World Cup, the draw was a significant recovery following their 7-1 opening defeat to Germany.

While Ecuador fans packed the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs in a sea of yellow, the tiny island nation had high-profile support in the stands, with Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watching from the luxury suites.

Curacao maintains close ties to the Netherlands as an autonomous country within the Kingdom, and their 26-man squad—managed by experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat—features 25 players born in the Netherlands.

The match began at a frenetic pace, with Room denying Enner Valencia as early as the third minute.

Despite Ecuador controlling 65 percent of possession by halftime, they could not break the deadlock.

As the game progressed, the South American side, ranked over 50 places higher than Curacao, grew increasingly frustrated.

Room continued to deny them until the final whistle, including a crucial save against a Gonzalo Plata header just before the hour mark and an effort from Angelo Preciado that clipped the crossbar late in the game.

The final whistle prompted jubilant scenes as the Curacao players swarmed their goalkeeper to celebrate the result.

Earlier in the day, four-time champions Germany secured their place in the round of 32 by coming from behind to defeat the Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto.

That result confirms Germany will top the group, while the final round of fixtures will see Ecuador face Germany and Curacao take on the Ivory Coast on Thursday.

Source: AFP