No Room for error

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Curacao better make some room for a new national hero.

Eloy Room delivered for his tiny Caribbean nation one of the finest performances in World Cup history on Saturday night, making 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack and helping The Blue Wave earn its first-ever point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador.

The outcome also allowed Germany, which beat Cote d'Ivoire earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.

"It's going to be an insane memory," said Room, who plays for USL Championship club Miami FC."You don't think about it when you do it, but, of course, it's going to be something you look back on. For me as a goalkeeper, this is almost a perfect game."

The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica in November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back in historic fashion from a 7-1 loss to Germany.

Since saves became a stat in 1966, Room's total was one shy of the record of 16 set by Tim Howard of the United States against Belgium on July 1, 2014, in a game that Room remembers watching.

Howard needed 120 minutes to reach that number, though. Nobody has made more saves than Room without extra time.

"I think I need a statue in Curacao now," he said with a smile.

The draw doesn't eliminate either team from the knockout stage, but it puts Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday with Curacao facing Cote d'Ivoire in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.

"Well, there are things you cannot explain in football," Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said. "We wanted to win. We didn't do it. I am the one who bears responsibility, and I told my team: 'If you're giving it all, competing, I have no complaints.'

"As long as we are alive (in the tournament), we will continue to give it our all. We are very united. We are like a family. No one said it would be easy."

Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage Saturday night at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Its fan base, dressed like its players in bright yellow shirts, filled the stadium to the brim, making it look like a convention of Minions. There were only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curacao fans in a stadium with the capacity to house half of its island's citizenry.

Among those in the crowd were Bobby Witt Jr, Salvador Perez and Starling Marte of the Kansas City Royals. There were European royals, too, as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who began a memorable day in Houston cheering the Dutch past Sweden, flew to Kansas City to watch a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands make history.

"They were even dancing in the locker room to our music," Room said. "That's unreal that they witnessed this game."

The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier Saturday, when Deniz Undav's goal in stoppage time lifted Germany to a 2-1 win over Cote d'Ivoire. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave.

Curacao made sure the pressure continued once play began.

Throughout the first half, 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat's team kept finding seams through the middle of Ecuador's defense, and that created openings on goal. But each time, Curacao couldn't find the final ball.

Ecuador wasted its best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless.

"For us, it's no shock," Curacao midfielder Tahith Chong said."We've become used to Eloy making these unbelievable saves."

The pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half — and each time, Room was standing in the way.

Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curacao finally cleared it.

Ecuador wound up taking 27 shots to just 10 for Curacao. Ten of the 15 saves Room made were inside the box.

It was that kind of special night for him. And that kind of frustrating night for Ecuador.

"The team deserved more than they got," Beccacece said, "and I am the one who is responsible for that."

AP