Meet Eloy Room di record-equalling keeper wey help Curacao make history

As Ecuador forward Enner Valencia run through Curacao goal for di first three minutes, di outcome dey inevitable.

About 10 yards out, and na only keeper dey to beat, you go tink say na sure goal. If e score, e go give Curacao mountain to climb - like dem lose 7-1 to Germany for dia World Cup first match, e fit shape wetin go happun next.

But goalkeeper Eloy Room know wia Valencia shot dey go, e bend low to im left side and grab di ball round di post. Na impossible save, almost no one believe am.

And dem set di tone.

By di end of di match, BBC Sport pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown dey joke say calculator fit dey needed to count di number of times Room save im team.

But na Ecuador dey count di price of dia missed chances as World Cup first-timers Curacao dey celebrate dia first-eva point for di tournament.

Room, wey be 37-year-old Miami FC keeper, produce great and record-equalling performance, as e make 15 saves to keep im kontri level and finally secure di goalless draw wey go live long for di mind of di island nation.

Since dem begin record for 1966, no keeper don make more stops for 90 minutes of World Cup action, according to Opta.

Na only Tim Howard don make as many saves for one game, but unlike Room, e fail to keep clean sheet afta e concede two goals for extra time wey cause USA loss to Belgium for 2014.

Room joke afta di 0-0 draw say Howard go dey "sweat for im house" wen e dey watch di game, and im performance mean say e "need statue for Curacao".

"Make you take bow, Room," Keown add for BBC One. "Absolutely magnificent.

You fit almost bring calculator for di end of di game to count di number of saves.

"E just turn into shopping list of saves. Im reactions na first class. E be like say e go keep clean sheet all night."

Na performance wey inspire Room kontri to dia biggest result eva.

Padel-loving keeper become Curacao hero

Di fact say Curacao dey for di competition get plenti tins to do wit di Dutch-born goalkeeper – wey be di oldest for di squad - as e make crucial save for di 0-0 draw wit Jamaica wey secure dia qualification for November.

Patrick Kluivert na di manager for di Blue Wave for 2015, and na im be di former striker wey call former Netherlands Under-21 player Room make im join di kontri wey im papa come from.

Room wey come from Nijmegen for Netherlands, play for dia in di early days of im career for Eredivisie. E don make ova 200 appearances for 10 years in di Dutch league including di title wey im win wit PSV and cup glory wit Vitesse bifor im move go di USA and Columbus Crew for 2019.

Afta im win di MLS Cup wit Columbus Crew for 2020 and di save-of-di-season honour, Room come briefly go back Europe but finally land back for di US wit Miami FC wey e dey play for di second tier.

Di goalkeeper wey enjoy to play padel and believe say e dey help improve im reflexes, make 15 saves for one World Cup match - but e no make pass five saves for any one of im nine league games dis season for Miami FC.

Di five-save match happun for di 4-3 win ova Louisville City for Miami FC Pitbull Stadium, 20,000-capacity venue, wit 713 fans wey attend dat evening.

But for 68,598 supporters wey dey for Kansas City Stadium, e write im name for World Cup history for football biggest stage wit series of superb saves (from total of 27 shots) and stop Ecuador from scoring even though dem get xG of 3.05.

"I still dey process am mysef," Room tok. "Di match dey full of emotions. I sabi say na hard match.

"Di first save set di tone, even for di team. E give me confidence and I grow, we all grow, dis na team effort.

"We don dey fight, fight reach di last minute. To earn point dis way for Curacao na beta tin."

'E go feel like victory for dem'

Room display also help make history for di island nation as dem dey play dia first World Cup.

Wen dem equalise against Germany for dia first match, e be like say dem just start, but Germany later score seven goals.

Curacao now face Ecuador, wey get rank pass dem by ova 50 place for di world, and dem dey find way to recova afta dem lose to Ivory Coast.

Wit only 156,000 population and land wey small pass Isle of Man, Curacao na di smallest nation wey don eva compete for World Cup.

Di Caribbean island na sef-govern entity within di kingdom of di Netherlands and na King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima dey watch Dick Advocaat side pull off dis surprise draw.

Na only di third time wey team wey dey rank 80 or lower for Fifa world rankings don earn World Cup point (Curacao dey 82nd bifor dis match).

Hosts South Africa collect four points for 2010 (dem dey 83rd) while New Zealand too dey 82nd bifor dem draw wit Iran dis year.

"Dis evening na about Curacao and wetin dem don achieve, e go feel like victory for dem," Keown tok.

"Na foothold for world football. Dem no come here to just add to di number - na outstanding result for dem."

Curacao go face Ivory Coast for dia final Group E match, and wit di point dem don secure, if dem fit shock evribodi and beat di African nation, dem go dey di last 32.

But anytin wey go happun, dis night go always dey remembered by di small island nation wey dey punch above dia weight.