Curaçao earns first

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw against the heavily favored La Tri on Saturday night and earn the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point.

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The outcome also allowed Germany, which beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.

The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curaçao to its first World Cup, bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Germany with one of the finest performances by a goalkeeper in World Cup history. His save total was one shy of the record — since saves became an official stat in 1966 — of 16 set by Tim Howard of the U.S. against Belgium on July 1, 2014.

The draw doesn’t eliminate either team from knockout play, but it puts Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday, with Curaçao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.

Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage Saturday night at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Its fanbase, dressed like its players in bright yellow shirts, filled the stadium to the brim, making it look like a convention of Minions. There was only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curaçao fans in a stadium whose capacity could house half of its island citizenry.

Among those in the crowd were Kansas City Royals players Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Starling Marte.

The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier Saturday, when Deniz Undav’s goal in stoppage time gave Germany a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave.

Curaçao made sure the pressure continued once play began.

Throughout the first half, 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat’s team kept finding seams through the middle of the Ecuadorean defense, creating open looks at the goal. But each time, Curaçao would end the runs with a sloppy pass or a shot wide of net.

Ecuador wasted its best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless.

The relentless pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half — and each time, Room was standing in the way.

Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curaçao finally cleared it.

It was that kind of night for Room. And that kind of night for Ecuador.