Superman Eloy Room inspires Curacao to first ever World Cup point against Ecuador

Eloy Room made a total of 15 saves to help Curacao earn their first World Cup point in a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. Iceland, the smallest nation at this year’s World Cup, kept their faint hopes of elimination alive as the result headed into the final set of group matches.

Germany’s win against Ivory Coast meant both teams needed to win. While Ecuador had 15 shots on goal and 75 percent possession, they struggled to get past Roomo and a determined Curacao side as the celebrations got underway after the full-time whistle as players ran to surround Roomo, equaling the record for most saves in a single World Cup game.

PEACE BECOME SUPERMAN

When you look at Curacao’s football history, Room’s place in it is significant. He was the first player to switch from the Netherlands and set an example for other players to follow. On Saturday, he showed his true class with a performance that will forever be part of Curacao folklore.

Both teams knew they needed a win in Kansas City to keep their World Cup hopes alive, and it was Ecuador who had the first chance to break the deadlock. Enner Valencia, Ecuador’s all-time top goalscorer, received a long ball from Caicedo and slotted through the goal, and it looked like the net was about to bulge. But then Room came to the rescue with the dotted line.

This was just the first of many strikes the 37-year-old made and became a brick wall for Ecuador to break through. He plays in the second division in the US but produced a performance similar to that of Vozinha in the draw with Spain.

And it wasn’t all one-way traffic, as Curacao had some good moments in attack but lacked decision-making. Tahith Chong, often the playmaker when it comes to Blue Wave attacks, had a chance to send the ball to Florean early on, but misjudged the call.

From this point on, it was all about Curacao surviving pressure from Ecuador, with Room standing tall in goal. He saved from Valencia and was later called upon to deny Plata. The Blue Wave were just as effective up front, forcing Galindez into a late save.

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Published on:

21 Jun 2026 07:36 IST