Eloy Room sets new saves record as Curacao earn first-ever World Cup point

[p]The best chance of the first half came after just three minutes, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/enner-valencia/KELXYJ3s/"]Enner Valencia[/a] latching onto a long ball and making space for himself in the box, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Room.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/floranus-sheral/lURzLW93/"]Sherel Floranus[/a] then fired wide in a rare attack for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a], before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yeboah-john/jHriw9D2/"]John Yeboah[/a] went on a mazy dribble and tested Room once more. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vite-pedro/tAgQRmS5/"]Pedro Vite[/a] then curled just wide from the edge of the box, before Room was called into action once more by denying Valencia from close range.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/plata-gonzalo/hUCYdK7J/"]Gonzalo Plata[/a] and Yeboah also made Room work before HT, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/galindez-hernan/CMsj4Kx5/"]Hernan Galindez[/a]’s only save was an easy one from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/comenencia-livano/QVwOF3CH/"]Livano Comenencia[/a], who scored Curaçao’s historic first-ever WC goal in their 7-1 drubbing by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a] continued to dominate in the second half, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caicedo-moises/tIqaAkDs/"]Moises Caicedo[/a] tried his luck from distance, but Room was yet again equal to the effort.[/p][image alt="Ecuador (blue) vs Curacao (red) momentum" id="6710c905-edc5-45f6-8e7b-cb2fedcff587" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="28e817cb-041a-4cf6-99b5-483330ea0778" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Plata also struck over from a tight angle and then forced the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Miami FC[/a] stopper to parry away his close-range header from a corner. Curacao were doing well to stay in the game and almost nicked the lead themselves when Galindez made a smart double stop to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bacuna-leandro/lfGzIOJg/"]Leandro Bacuna[/a] and Comenencia.[/p][p]Both goalkeepers were busy in quick succession as Room brought up double figures for saves in the match, scrambling away Valencia’s far-post header before stopping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-kevin/zidM8dFE/"]Kevin Rodriguez[/a]’s header from the resulting corner.[/p][p]Room was channeling his inner Vozinha with a man-of-the-match performance, as he got down well to deny another Ecuador substitute in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/angulo-nilson/GtWYwr5H/"]Nilson Angulo[/a]. Piero Hincapie really should have done better with his header from the resulting corner, as he directed it over from just a few yards out.[/p][image alt="Ecuador shot chart" id="ad113893-6a5b-470d-8062-fbe39b458a33" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="904f81c8-f564-4178-869c-20a40d186754" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Curacao still posed a threat on the break, though, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bacuna-juninho/MJcaY9pe/"]Juninho Bacuna[/a] was the latest to test Galindez, with his deflected effort palmed away. Angulo then had another go from distance, but once more Room was equal to his strike. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/preciado-angelo/bD6W0ocH/"]Angelo Preciado[/a]’s cross also brushed the crossbar late on, but The Blue Wave’s goal would simply not be breached.[/p][p]After six of their WC qualifiers finished goalless, Ecuador’s toothlessness in front of goal ultimately cost them again as they had to settle for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/curacao-bLLGpOkQ/ecuador-8tbm8Tri/?mid=p2XLmuKP"]just a point[/a]. That means they are now winless in four WC matches (D2, L2) and will likely have to beat Germany in their final group game to progress to the knockouts.[/p][p]After shipping seven goals to the Germans on their WC debut, Curacao will be delighted with the clean sheet and a first-ever point at the WC finals, and should they beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] on matchday three, they will likely advance to the knockouts and write another piece of history.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/room-eloy/QkUYeBt5/"]Eloy Room[/a] (Curacao)[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/curacao-bLLGpOkQ/ecuador-8tbm8Tri/summary/stats/?mid=p2XLmuKP"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Ecuador-Curacao matchup stats" id="8eec8d8e-5d5f-4aa4-9f46-1ad107458f7a" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="3d94a5ba-27e0-41bb-8447-6bcc275dcf57" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /]