There was no way past the Eloy Room. The Curacao keeper, who conceded seven goals against the DFB team, wrote World Cup history with his sensational gala against Ecuador. Germany is also celebrating the 37-year-old.
The World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA remains a tournament for goalkeepers – and once again someone who only insiders would have known has come into the spotlight. Eloy Room made World Cup history with 15 saves in a single game and moved into second place on the all-time leaderboard since data collection began.
The American Tim Howard retains first place, but he also had 120 minutes for his 16 blocked balls in the 1:2 after extra time in the 2014 round of 16 against Belgium.
“I’m a little annoyed”
But whether 15 or 16 balls were saved, whether first place after 90 minutes or second place after 120 minutes – that was completely indifferent to the people on Curacao on Sunday night. They celebrated Room and those in front of them for the first World Cup point for a nation that, with 160,000 inhabitants, is roughly the same size as Heidelberg.
Germany also celebrated it: Because Room and Curacao prevented Ecuador from getting three points, the group victory for the DFB team was already secured after two games.
Room admitted with a laugh after the game: “I’m a bit annoyed that I didn’t reach Tim Howard’s record. But I think he was sweating watching the game because I got pretty close to him. But no, it’s unbelievable. It was so intense, of course I didn’t think about any records at all during the game.”
Several keepers were already working up a frenzy
But how could this man feel like he conceded every ball in the 7-1 defeat against Germany in Houston on June 14th and now write such a heroic epic?
The tournament so far has shown that keepers can get themselves into a frenzy. Australia’s Patrick Beach was one of the invincibles in the 2-0 win against Turkey, the Turks then also fell to Paraguay goalie Patrick Gill. 40-year-old Vozinha from Cape Verde was insurmountable for Spain and is now an Insta-superstar, Mohammed Al Owais saved Saudi Arabia a surprise point against Uruguay.
An appearance for the Netherlands U20
Al Owais, Gill, Vozinha, Beach and now Room – they all contributed to ensuring that their underdog nations actually have a chance of reaching the knockout stages. And Room can belatedly congratulate himself on a decision he made eleven years ago. He was born in Nijmegen, 39 kilometers from the German border. In the Dutch U-20 team he once got the chance to wear an Orange jersey. Then he was no longer called and became naturalized because of his father’s origins from Curacao.
His first appearance was already promising: on June 6, 2015, Curacao defeated Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 thanks to debutant Room, the goalkeeper of the “Blue Wave” was named “Man of the Match”. At that time, the 1.90 meter keeper was playing for Vitesse Arnheim in the Eredivisie before he signed for PSV Eindhoven, where he ended up on the substitutes’ bench. This was followed by stints at Columbus Crew in Ohio, a brief return to Vitesse and a year at Cercle Brugge before Room finally got a contract in the United Soccer League with American second division club Miami FC.
Chance of the knockout rounds in the duel with Ivory Coast
He can then tell his grandchildren that he played in a city at the same time with Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami – but not against him yet. However, if his path at this World Cup continues and perhaps even leads sensationally into the knockout round with a win on Thursday (10 p.m. CEST) against Ivory Coast, a meeting with Messi is of course still conceivable for Eloy Room.