STAR SPORTS DESK

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room delivered one of the most remarkable performances in World Cup history on Saturday, producing a record 15 saves in a 0-0 Group E draw against Ecuador. His heroics secured the first-ever World Cup point for Curacao, the smallest nation to compete in the tournament, with a population of approximately 156,000.

The 37-year-old veteran set the tone within two minutes by denying Ecuador captain Enner Valencia from close range. Room continued to frustrate the South Americans throughout the match, stopping a long-range strike from John Yeboah and later producing another crucial save from Valencia’s second-half header.

His 15 saves established a World Cup record for a regulation-time match, surpassed only by Tim Howard, who made 16 saves against Belgium after extra time in 2014.

Reflecting on the achievement, Room said: “I was not thinking about that during the game,” while jokingly expressing disappointment at not matching Howard’s mark. Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez described it as “the game of his life.”

Born in the Netherlands near the German border, Room chose to represent Curacao through his father after being approached in 2015 by former national team coach Patrick Kluivert. He previously stated that playing in a World Cup for Curacao was a childhood dream.

The result carried symbolic importance for the Caribbean nation, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The match was attended by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, who celebrated with the team afterward.

“This is history!” shouted a Curacao journalist after the final whistle --an apt summary of a night when one goalkeeper transformed a dream into a national milestone.