Willem and Maxima in the locker room to celebrate. The record goalkeeper (never seen 15 saves in a World Cup in 90′): “I’m stunned. My father who died in November was next to me”. He left Holland for Miami’s second team, his magical evening at 37
“I still don’t realize what happened.” And you have to believe him. Some nights only happen once in a lifetime and only to the lucky ones. Eloy Room is still dressed as a goalkeeper as he waves the man of the match statuette without yet giving a name to his own achievement: with 15 saves, a record in a World Cup match excluding extra time, he prevented Ecuador from scoring and gave Curaçao the first incredible point in history. Thaumaturgical benefits of Room service. Even the king and queen of the Netherlands, in the stands in Kansas City, went down to the locker room to congratulate and dance together with the players of the former colony: a top day for them, the rulers Willem and Maxima, who in the afternoon had attended the Cinquena Oranje against Sweden.
emotion
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But let’s go back to Room, who is 37 years old and plays in the USA: in Miami, next door to Messi’s Inter, registered in the second division and not even in the MLS. Born in Nijmegen, in his homeland, he has an unmemorable past at Vitesse and made 3 appearances for PSV Eindhoven. He came from the deluge of goals conceded on his debut against Germany, but this time he lowered the shutter: “The most difficult save was the first against Valencia – he recalls – because it left an imprint on the match by making us gain confidence. I want to see the others again.” Yes ok but what kind of emotion is this? “Huge. I’m confused, I have so many things in my head and I think about my father who was here with me.” He died in November, he was her guardian angel. Eloy: “I gave everything I had. And so did the team. It’s incredible that the smallest nation ever managed to achieve such a result. It’s a sign that we are a special group.”
the joke
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The coach, Dick Advocaat, was moved once again after the tears he shed after the goal against Germany: his hand in the tactical organization of the team was clearly visible. But without the unbeatable Room, who holds the record for appearances with the national team having agreed to represent it already in 2015, we would be here telling a different story. The goalkeeper jokes, looking at the Guinness Book of Records that awarded his American colleague Tim Howard: 16 saves in 2014, but in 120 minutes and not 90. “It’s a shame – observes Room, laughing – but I’m still proud because I think he suffered a bit from the TV… However, I expect them to make a statue of me in Curaçao”. A few days ago this stadium had crowned Messi, who he sometimes saw on the beach in Miami: “The honor is double, evidently Kansas City will become my favorite city from now on.” Compliments. But it doesn’t end there: the small island can even dream of qualifying. It is enough for them, so to speak, to beat Ivory Coast on the last day of the group to hope for second place. Better not to set any more limits.
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