World Cup highlights: Curacao earn historic point as Tunisia eliminated

[p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wRdU57TNnfwIaojirfr9F?si=VcbWQsBBQZqIyGHKFdU6ZQ"][b]Listen to this article on Spotify here.[/b][/a][/p][p][i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] brings you daily coverage of the best moments from the previous day at the World Cup.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/soccer-world-championship-world-cup-highlights-brazil-earn-first-win-as-co-hosts-usa-secure-spot-in-knockouts/CUK3VihC/"]Catch up on day nine right here.[/a][/p][h2]The headlines[/h2][p]Groups E and F took centre stage on Saturday, as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] began the day with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=0rAjVxuo"]5-1[/a] crushing over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] to put them in pole position heading into the final matchday. Sweden, who, unsurprisingly, became the first side to win their opener 5-1 and lose the next by the same scoreline, will need a positive result against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] in the final match to advance.[/p][p]Ronald Koeman brought [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] into the starting lineup, and he repaid his manager's faith with a first-half brace. [/p][embed guid="a33b3480-22ef-49a5-9a1d-9a296fe6ddef" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2068407957763543511" social-type="twitter" /][p]Japan also finished the day on four points, after beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/tunisia-QqZVYk95/?mid=SzGJdIdt"]4-0[/a]. Herve Renard, brought in as the firefighter for Tunisia, was unable to arrest the slide after their damning loss to Sweden in the opener, seeing them eliminated after two games.[/p][p]It was Japan's best evening at a World Cup, scoring more than they had ever done before in one outing during the World Cup's 1,000th match.[/p][p]In the other day's games, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a] needed a brace from substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/undav-deniz/tUHAdtMH/"]Deniz Undav[/a] - the second in stoppage time - to earn [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/germany-ptQide1O/ivory-coast-G2FRjBgn/?mid=SMzorJsm"]a 2-1 win[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] and punch their ticket to the round of 32. The African side took the lead through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kessie-franck/n7dQ4tBL/"]Franck Kessie[/a] in the first half in a game where they more than matched the 2014 World Cup winners.[/p][embed guid="e965ff44-f220-4171-9f80-147f24006314" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2068459220094140596" social-type="twitter" /][p]Elsewhere, in Kansas City, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a] made global headlines after their [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/curacao-bLLGpOkQ/ecuador-8tbm8Tri/?mid=p2XLmuKP"]0-0 draw[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a]. It was the first point for the World Cup's smallest-ever nation, despite the xG numbers going against them by 2.34. They will need a win against the Ivory Coast in their final game, but, they have a chance.[/p][h2]Player of the day[/h2][p]For the first time during this World Cup, we have a tie for the player of the day between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/room-eloy/QkUYeBt5/"]Eloy Room[/a], but we have to lean with our hearts.[/p][p]Room, who plays his club football with Miami FC - no, not Inter Miami - in the USL, was incredible in goal for Curacao against Ecuador.[/p][p]He earned a 9.4 rating using [i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i]'s new-and-improved ratings system, after keeping a clean sheet and making a staggering 15 saves across the 90 minutes - a new record at the World Cup. He prevented an xG of 2.27, whilst saving four big chances as the South Americans could not get past him.[/p][image alt="Eloy Room's performance against Ecuador" id="66b63a0b-6ff2-4de7-8853-cda333cfea35" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / Hannah Mckay / Reuters" guid="b70cb408-b137-4d1a-a49c-eb65dbcd1df2" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2]Goal of the day[/h2][p]The best strike of the day came late, during Japan's victory over Tunisia. Their star man, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ueda-ayase/8Ssd0upn/"]Ayase Ueda[/a], who scored eight in nine during qualification, missed out against the Netherlands in matchday one, but he didn't in Monterrey.[/p][p]His first was a peach. He dribbled the ball into the box before letting fly from the edge of the box, across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.[/p][p]Japan now have the same goal difference as the Netherlands and they look like a real threat ahead of their last group game against Sweden on June 25th.[/p][image alt="Ayase Ueda's goal against Tunisia" id="04bc816f-ede3-43ce-ac7a-191a59180f4f" credit-line="Daniel Becerril / Reuters / Opta by StatsPerform" guid="3231ff76-f02d-4ef8-85c3-26e87fe1186b" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2]Best from social media[/h2][p]Back to Eloy Room, and a goalkeepers' union that is burgeoning during this tournament. After [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a]'s Vozinha's social media fame went through the roof after his side's 0-0 draw against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a], Room's following has also exploded after the game of his life.[/p][p]Starting the day around 60,000 followers on Instagram, it ended nearing a million, showing once again the magnitude of this World Cup and how some players can become household names literally overnight.[/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]