Rome gifts Curaçao its first World Cup point.

Goalkeeper Eloy Room led the Curaçao national team to secure their first point in their debut at the FIFA World Cup, saving 15 shots against Ecuador (0-0) on Saturday in Kansas, in the second round of Group E of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Room, who plays in the USL Championship with Miami FC, established himself as the star of the match and was named the best player with a record number of saves in regular time (15, including 6 in the first half), coming just one save short of the record for most saves in a World Cup, held by American goalkeeper Tim Howard during his country's match against Belgium (1-2 after extra time) in the Round of 16 of the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

This is the first point for Curaçao after their humiliating loss to Germany 1-7 in the opener, and it is also the first for Ecuador after their defeat against Ivory Coast 0-1, complicating their task of advancing past the group stage as they will face Germany in the final third round, which secured the top spot in the group with this result after qualifying with a victory over Ivory Coast 2-1, while the African team occupies second place with three points.

Ecuador's Argentine coach Sebastián Becaccece made two substitutions to the lineup that lost to Ivory Coast 0-1, bringing in Pervis Estupiñán and Jordi Alcívar for Joel Ordóñez and Alan Minda.

Following suit, Curaçao's Dutch coach Dick Advocaat substituted Jorin Garry and Joshua Brenet for Rickey Bazour and Sontje Hansen.

Ecuador pressed from the start and nearly opened the scoring in the third minute when their captain, Pachuca's Mexican striker Enner Valencia, broke through inside the area after a long ball from Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo, facing the goalkeeper and firing a powerful shot that was deflected by the latter before hitting the crossbar and turning into a corner kick without any result (3).

Dutch Zwolle defender Sherel Floranus responded with a powerful shot from inside the area following a counterattack that went just past the left post (8).

Italian Venezia midfielder John Yeboah almost scored when he penetrated the area and fired a low shot that was saved by goalkeeper Room (12), then Mexican Pumas midfielder Pedro Vitti broke through and played a ball to the far right corner, but it went wide of the goal (14).

Vitti took a powerful shot from about 35 meters that the goalkeeper saved in two attempts (16), and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié delivered a cross that Valencia followed up from close range into the hands of goalkeeper Room (20).