Almost 30 shots on goal for Ecuador, but there was no getting past Eloy Room: Curacao’s keeper gave the small island seed a historic point win with a fantastic performance and an incredible 15 saves.
Due to the 0-0 draw, Ecuador now has to beat Germany on Thursday (10 p.m. CEST) to still have a chance of reaching the knockout rounds. The DFB team is now the winner of Group E. And Curacao can still dream of a sensation, but they would need a win against Ivory Coast at the same time.
After just two minutes, veteran star Enner Valencia should have given Ecuador the lead after a dream pass deep from Moisés Caicedo, but Curacao keeper Eloy Boom showed one of the best saves of the World Cup tournament so far – and brilliantly steered the ball around the right post.
Good transition game from Curacao
As with the 7-1 defeat against Germany, the small island state from the South Caribbean did not hide. After every ball was conquered, the team moved forward quickly, but Sherel Floranus failed to capitalize on it in the 8th minute when she missed a full-range shot from ten meters.
The fans in the Kansas City Chiefs stadium saw a lively back and forth with pleasantly short stays in midfield. After 20 minutes it was Valencia again who couldn’t get the ball past Room after a low cross from ex-Leverkusen player Piero Hincapié. On the other hand, Juninho Bacuna and Jürgen Locadia missed their chances to take the lead for Curacao because they each finished too stubbornly.
Yeboah and Plata fail at Room
The fact that it went into the break goalless was due to Room’s strong ability: he fended off John Yeboah’s long-range shot as well as attempts from Gonzalo Plata and Jordy Alcivar. Ecuador went into the break with 8:5 shots on goal and 74 percent of ball possession, although the extreme outsiders Curacao had also created some promising shots from their limited share of the game.
At the beginning of the second half, Ecuador increased the number of strikes and launched one attack after the other. However, Cuaracao did a good job of closing down the flanks and forcing the South Americans to take mostly harmless long-range shots – that could also be an approach for the DFB team in the final Group E duel.
Suddenly Galindez is in demand as a rescuer
It only became dangerous for the native Dutchman in the Curacao goal after just under an hour, but Room also defused Plata’s header from close range. Room’s counterpart was unemployed for a long time, but suddenly became the focus of attention in the 60th minute. For a short period, Curacao put on a real power play and had three shots in a row: Hernán Galindez fended off the shots from Leandro Bacuna and Livano Comenencia, and Locadia’s attempt was also in safe hands with him.
And it remained a game of goalkeepers: Curacao had barely enraptured their fans with the offensive scenes when Room was in demand again at the back: He punched Valencia’s touchdown ball from the near corner, and the former Vitesse Arnheim and PSV Eindhoven keeper, who now plays for Miami FC, also scratched substitute Nilson Angulo’s cracker and Kevin Rodriguez’s next header off the line. When Room seemed to have been beaten in the 89th minute, the crossbar saved him from Angelo Preciado’s failed cross – thus the sensational point win was perfect.