Ecuador were left stunned as Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room delivered a historic performance, making 15 saves to secure a 0-0 draw in their World Cup Group E clash at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The 37-year-old set a new record for the most stops in 90 minutes of a World Cup match since 1966, keeping his nation’s faint qualification hopes alive. Ecuador dominated with 27 shots and an xG of 3.05 but failed to score for the second straight game, having lost 1-0 to the Ivory Coast earlier. Enner Valencia was denied by Room’s brilliant save in the third minute when clean through, and Gonzalo Plata saw a close-range header superbly parried. Curacao, ranked 82nd in the world with a population of just 158,000, earned their first-ever World Cup point despite a 7-1 opening defeat to Germany. Ecuador must now beat table-toppers Germany to qualify, while Curacao will advance if they overcome the Ivory Coast. The extraordinary resistance from Room turned an expected routine win into one of the tournament’s biggest shocks, leaving Ecuador on the brink of an early exit.
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