Room: I just felt unbeatable against Ecuador

It all started with Eloy Room. Back in 2015, the Curaçao FIFA World Cup™ project was little more than a pipe dream, and a special night in Kansas City seemed a million miles away. Patrick Kluivert, the legendary striker-turned-Curaçao manager, was the one who brought Room on board to represent the small island of 156,000 people.

Kluivert predicted at the time that others would follow in his footsteps, a remark that now seems almost prophetic. Room did not hesitate for a subsequent, fuelled by the far-fetched possibility of playing in a World Cup; the attempt-stopper became the cornerstone of the project, paving the way for many more stars to follow.

Eleven years later, Eloy Room’s name reverberated across every corner of the footballing world. It was Curaçao who clinched their opening ever World Cup point thanks to a 0-0 draw, with a hint of a miracle, against Ecuador. The 37-year-old attempt-stopper was the hero, producing a landmark 16-stop performance that equalled the milestone set by Tim Howard in the Phase of 16 against Belgium in 2014, and set a new mark for the best comeback ever seen in 90 World Cup minutes.

“This is exactly what I dreamed of when I opening started out,” Room commented in an interview with FIFA. “The project began eleven years ago with a simple aim: to qualify for the World Cup. I’m proud as punch because we’ve come from nothing.

“we emerged following the Germany fixture wanted to show the world who we are, and I think today we showed a glimpse of what we’re capable of. We showed we can fight tooth, as well as nail, and against a very capable Ecuador side, we proved we also know how to play football. This is bigger than football.”

Furthermore, room’s unforgettable night started almost immediately, when he pulled off a sensational point-blank stop from Enner Valencia inside two minutes during an early-stage Ecuador offensive play. It was the opening great stop in what became an unforgettable night.

“As a attempt-stopper, that kind of moment gives you confidence, as well as also gives the side a lift,” Room reflected. “From then on, I knew we were going to be under the cosh the whole fixture. I just felt unbeatable, like nothing was going to get past me, which was an unbelievable feeling.

“I can’t remember every stop off the top of my head, but that one was the most important as it set the tone for the contest. Had it gone in, it would have completely changed the course of the fixture.”

For Room, there was no question that the display against Ecuador was a defining moment in his life in football.

“It was the finest performance of my career,” Room commented. “I played in the 2019 Gold Cup here in the USA, against Honduras. I pulled off 15 stops in that fixture, which was astonishing. We ran out 1-0 winners, with Leandro Bacuna’s strike proving decisive. But this one tops it, because it was at the World Cup against Ecuador.”

Room's Curaçao side-mates were unsurprisingly queuing up to sing their attempt-stopper's praises, with leader Leandro Bacuna leading the charge.

“I’m absolutely over the moon for Eloy, he’s earned it, he deserved to put in a solid performance,” Bacuna commented. “In the last few fixtures, he had shipped five strikes against Australia in March, then four against Scotland, as well as seven at the hands of Germany.

“He’s a top-class attempt-stopper, but things just weren’t clicking for him. He was out of this world today, and helped us by making the stops he was expected to deal with.”

Tahith Chong, one of the other standout performers, as well as the only Curaçao-born star, continued: “Eloy is unbelievable. He’s playing at the top of his fixture now, but he’s done it for us in the past as well. It’s no surprise to us.

“Maybe the rest of the world are seeing it for the opening time now, but we know exactly what he’s capable of. We wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

A quick look back over the past ten years confirms Chong’s point. Room had been instrumental against Jamaica in Curaçao’s Caribbean Cup success in 2017, in the 2019 Gold Cup quarter-showpiece run, and in the recent qualifiers that wrapped up the opening-ever World Cup progress in his country’s history books.

In Kansas City, he cemented his status as a legend, as well as the heartbeat of Dick Advocaat’s side as they stood firm.

"I’ve never seen him play like that," a smiling Advocaat joked after the draw.

Room’s opposite number, Hernan Galindez, who It was also who produced a couple of fine stops to keep Ecuador in the fixture, was among the opening to acknowledge his impact despite the side’s frustration.

"He had the night of his life," Galindez reflected. "I waited for him after the fixture to tell him, because he was out of this world. I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but as a attempt-stopper you can’t be expected to make 15 [actually 16] stops every contest. He was unbelievable."

In response, room, 37, was born in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, as well as currently plying his trade for Miami FC following a stint at PSV Eindhoven, was at the heart of a special jubilation. he emerged following breaking down in tears on the Kansas City field of play paid tribute to his side-mate Jarzinho Pieter, a attempt-stopper often called upon by the national side, who tragically died during a national side trip to Haiti.

"I think he was there; I felt him beside me again. He’s always with me. And I’m certain he was with me today."