Meet the record-equalling keeper who helped Curacao make history

As Ecuador forward Enner Valencia raced through on Curacao's goal inside the opening three minutes, the outcome seemed inevitable.

>About 10 yards out and with just the keeper to beat, he looked certain to score. It would give Curacao a mountain to climb - and, as it did in the 7-1 defeat by Germany in their World Cup opener, could well set the tone for what was to come.

>But goalkeeper Eloy Room anticipated where Valencia's shot was headed, stooped low to his left and clawed the ball around the post. It was an improbable, barely believable save.

>And the tone was, indeed, set.

>By full-time, BBC Sport pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was joking a calculator might be needed to tot up the number of times Room had bailed his team out.

>Yet it was Ecuador who were left counting the cost of their missed chances as World Cup debutants Curacao celebrated their first-ever point in the tournament.

>Room, the 37-year-old Miami FC keeper, produced a remarkable and record-equalling performance, making 15 saves to keep his country level and eventually secure a goalless draw which will live long in the memory of the island nation.

>Since records began in 1966, no goalkeeper has made more stops in 90 minutes of World Cup action, according to Opta.

>Only Tim Howard has made as many in a single game but, unlike Room, he failed to keep a clean sheet after conceding twice in extra-time for the USA against Belgium in 2014.

>Room joked after the 0-0 draw that Howard would have been "sweating at home" watching the game and his performance means he "needs a statue in Curacao".

>"Take a bow, Room," added Keown on BBC One. "Absolutely magnificent.

>"The number of saves, you were almost getting a calculator out at the end of the game to count them up.

>"It just became a shopping list of saves. His reactions were first class. He seemed destined to keep a clean sheet all night."

>It was a performance that inspired Room's country to their biggest-ever result.

Padel-loving keeper becomes Curacao heroEloy Room and Dick Advocaat celebrate a historic result for Curacao [Getty Images]The fact Curacao are even in the competition has a lot to do with the Dutch-born goalkeeper – and the oldest member of their squad - as he made a crucial save in a 0-0 draw with Jamaica which secured their qualification in November.

>Patrick Kluivert was manager of the Blue Wave in 2015 and it was the former striker who called former Netherlands Under-21 international Room to convince him to play for the country where his father is from.

>Hailing from Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Room played the early part of his career in the Eredivisie. He made over 200 appearances across 10 years in the Dutch league including a title success with PSV and cup glory with Vitesse before moving to the USA and Columbus Crew in 2019.

>After winning the MLS Cup with Columbus Crew in 2020 and the save-of-the-season honour, Room briefly returned to Europe but ended up back in the US with Miami FC, who compete in the second tier.

>The goalkeeper, who loves to play padel and believes it helps improve his reflexes, may have made 15 saves in one World Cup match - but he did not make more than five in any one of his nine league games this season for Miami FC.

>The five-save match came in a 4-3 win over Louisville City at Miami FC's Pitbull Stadium, a 20,000-capacity venue which had just 713 fans in attendance that evening.

>But in front of 68,598 supporters at Kansas City Stadium, he wrote his name into World Cup history on football's biggest stage with a series of superb saves (from a total of 27 shots) and stopped Ecuador scoring despite an xG of 3.05.

>"I still have to process myself," Room said. "The match is full of emotions. I knew it was going to be a tough match.

>"The first save, the tone was put in place, also for the team. It gave me confidence and I grew, we all grew, this was a team effort.

>"We've been fighting, fighting up to the last minute. Earning a point this way for Curacao is absolutely great."

'It will feel like a victory for them'Room's display also helped create history for the island nation in their first ever World Cup.

>There was delirium when they took an early lead against Germany in their opening game, but it would end in humiliation as the European giants eventually stuck seven past them.

>Curacao next had to face Ecuador, a country ranked more than 50 places higher than them in the world who were looking to respond following defeat by Ivory Coast.

>With a population of just 156,000 and a land mass smaller than the Isle of Man, Curacao is the smallest nation to ever compete in the World Cup.

>The Caribbean island exists as a self-governing entity within the Kingdom of Netherlands and Dutch royalty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were in the stands to watch Dick Advocaat's side pull off this unexpected draw.

>It is just the third time a team ranked 80th or lower in Fifa's world rankings have earned a point at a World Cup (Curacao were 82nd before this fixture).

>Hosts South Africa claimed four points in 2010 (ranked 83rd) while New Zealand were also 82nd before their draw with Iran this year.

>"This evening is all about Curacao and what they've done, what they've achieved and that will feel like a victory for them," said Keown.

>"It's a foothold in world football. They didn't come here to just make up the numbers - that is an outstanding result for them."

>Curacao now face Ivory Coast in their final Group E game and, with this point secured, if they were to pull off a huge shock and beat the African nation then they would be heading into the last 32.

>But whatever happens, this night will be forever remembered by the tiny island nation punching above its weight.

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