A heroic performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room created history for Curacao as they earned a first World Cup point by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City.
Room made 15 saves – the most by any goalkeeper in 90 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966 – as he acted as a one-man barrier, with Dick Advocaat’s brave side bouncing back from their 7-1 thrashing by Germany in their opening game.
The point, a historic result for a tiny nation with just 158,000 people, keeps their unlikely hopes of advancing through Group E alive and they will progress to the knockout stages if they can somehow beat Ivory Coast in their final match.
It was all down to a monumental performance from Room, who was in action from as early as the third minute when he denied Enner Valencia with a brilliant save.
Room was on a one-man mission as he kept out Gonzalo Plata’s effort while again denying Valencia with an impressive low stop.
Curacao had their moments, with former Manchester United midfielder Tahith Chong wasting a three-on-two situation while Juninho Bacuna had a shot blocked in the penalty area.
open image in galleryAdvocaat’s men had a triple chance to take the lead on the hour as Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez made a good double stop to deny Leandro Bacuna and Livano Comenencia before Moises Caicedo blocked Jurgen Locadia’s follow-up effort.
But Room continued to keep his side in it as he denied Valencia and Kevin Rodriguez before Piero Hincapie sent a free header over and Plata somehow missed after bursting into the area.
Rodriguez then hit the crossbar with a cross-shot, but Room was the hero as the Caribbean nation held on for a historic result.