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Curacao needed an historic effort from its goalkeeper to pick up the first World Cup point in the country’s history on Saturday.
Curacao’s Eloy Room made 15 saves against Ecuador and earned a 0-0 draw in the match. Room’s saves total was one shy of the record of 16 set by U.S. soccer legend Tim Howard against Belgium on July 1, 2014.
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“It’s going to be an insane memory,” Room said after the match. “You don’t think about it when you do it but of course it’s going to be something you look back to. For me as a goalkeeper, this is almost a perfect game.”
Room hit the mark in regulation while Howard needed 120 minutes for his mark. No goalkeeper has made more saves than Room without extra time.
“I think I need a statue in Curacao now,” he added.
Ecuador took 27 shots vs. 10 for Curacao. Ten of Room’s 15 saves were made inside the box.
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Curacao earned the point as Germany defeated Ivory Coast earlier in the day to clinch Group E. The draw kept both Curacao and Ecuador in contention for the knockout stage. However, Ecuador is in tough shape with only point in its first two matches.
“Well, there are things you cannot explain in football,” Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said. “We wanted to win. We didn’t do it. I am the one who bears responsibility, and I told my team, ‘If you’re giving it all, competing, I have no complaints.’
“As long as we are alive, we will continue to give it our all. We are very united. We are like a family. No one said it would be easy.”
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Ecuador will play Germany and Curacao will compete against Ivory Coast in the final Group E matches of the tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
