The Japan Times - Curacao keeper Room jokes he deserves statue after World Cup heroics

The 37-year-old shot-stopper made 15 saves in the Group E match against Ecuador on Saturday to keep alive Curacao's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

His tally is the most on record -- since 1966 -- by any goalkeeper in a World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.

Curacao celebrated their 0-0 draw in Kansas City wildly -- days after a chastening 7-1 defeat against Germany on their World Cup debut.

"It means everything," said Room. "It feels like a victory, you know, for us. But now it means a lot. It's the first point in the World Cup for us.

"So it's unreal if you know the journey where we come from and we're now here. And today we showed we have real heart with the team. So it's an unbelievable feeling."

The Miami FC goalkeeper joked that he was disappointed to miss out on former US goalkeeper Tim Howard's record of 16 saves noted by FIFA in a match against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil that went to extra-time.

"I think he was sweating at home, you know, looking at the game," he said. "But I heard it was also another record from really long ago. So yeah, I'm proud of that."

Room praised his teammates but cheekily suggested his achievement should be set in stone.

"I'm really proud of the team also, because again, we did it with the team," he said. "I make the saves, but we fought as a team, also the players who came in.

"But I think I need a statue in Curacao, I think now."

- Royal party -

Room produced a stunning save in the opening minutes of the match at Arrowhead Stadium, denying Ecuador captain Enner Valencia when the forward seemed certain to score.

After that he produced save after save, constantly thwarting the South Americans, who are ranked more than 50 places higher by FIFA.

"I think the most important save was the first one, because that set the tone of the game," he said.

"And if the ball went in, it was a difficult game. So I think that was one of the best saves, but all the other saves, I don't even remember how they were so I had to look them back afterwards."

Ecuador are no pushovers -- they finished second in South American qualifying behind Argentina -- but they are blunt in attack.

Curacao is the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup with a population of about 160,000, -- not much more than double Saturday's attendance of 68,598.

Netherlands-born Room started his career in the nation of his birth, spending time at Vitesse, Go Ahead Eagles and PSV Eindhoven.

Now he plies his trade in the second tier of US football for Miami FC.

Out of Curacao's 26-strong squad, managed by veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in the Netherlands, and many play their football there.

The Caribbean island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Saturday's match at the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs was watched by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, who was wearing a Curacao shirt.

After the game the royals danced and partied with the ecstatic team in the dressing room.

"Meeting them was really special. Maxima kissed me a small kiss... I hope my wife doesn't hear," Room joked.

Advocaat said the Germany match had come too early for his team and those opponents were "simply out of our league".

But he added: "Today the team was standing as it should have been standing. They were fighting like lions, and then you see what you can achieve playing against a team that's playing on a very high level with very high individual levels."

Germany, who beat Ivory Coast 2-1 earlier on Saturday, are now guaranteed to finish top of Group E.

But Ivory Coast, Curacao and Ecuador are still battling for the second spot, which would guarantee a place in the last 32.

Room will feel anything is possible now as Curacao dare to dream.

T.Ikeda--JT