Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room put on his superman costume for his country as they picked up their first-ever FIFA World Cup point against Ecuador.
The veteran goalkeeper made a whopping 15 saves for his side in their 0-0 draw against Ecuador, putting out a historic display.
This same Curacao side had been pummelled 7-1 by Germany only days earlier, and the same goalkeeper was between the sticks for that one.
A Night That Changed Curacao's World Cup Story
The script was already written after the first round of games: a wounded side up against the smallest country in the history of the competition.
Ecuador, billed as one of the dark horses, lost to a late Amad Diallo goal against Ivory Coast in their first game of the tournament. Curacao shipped seven goals against Germany. A bloodbath was widely expected for the Caribbean side, but they ripped up the script.
Enner Valencia and co quickly found out at the Kansas City Stadium that Curacao fielded a wall between the sticks. Shot after shot was saved by Eloy Room, leaving the Ecuadorians perplexed.
In all, La Tricolor attempted 27 shots and saw 15 hit the target, but not a single one crossed the goal line as Room put on a historic performance. He became the goalkeeper with the most saves in a 90-minute World Cup game on only his second-ever appearance.
How Curacao Responded To A 7-1 Reality Check
Curacao must have been left feeling utterly dejected after Germany took them to the cleaners on Matchday one. They had started that game brightly and stayed with Die Mannschaft for 20 minutes, but failed to sustain their level.
For them, the game would have provided an insight into the gap that exists between their team and the best teams at this competition. They would use that knowledge to deliver a masterclass in the second game.
Dick Advocaat's side learned quicky that they had a very small margin for errors against Ecuador, and they put on a defensive masterclass to earn a first-ever point.
Curaçao could have folded and been bossed around against Ecuador, but they quicky bounced back from their defeat, showing resilience against La Tricolor.
In football, like in life, tough situations often arm individuals with tools to do things differently at other times. Curaçao grabbed the lessons from the Germany game and refused to be beaten by Ecuador.
Leadership Looks Different For Goalkeepers
In elite football, goalkeepers have the best view of the pitch and often lead from the back, bellowing instructions to their teammates on where and how to position themselves.
Hearing such instructions from your goalkeeper, who is 37 and has a ton of experience makes it so much better. Add in the phenomenal performance he just put up, it becomes evident that he led by example.
Room's performance transcended just keeping the ball from going into the net and was essentially an act of defiance, which his teammates caught onto and went along with. He allowed all of his experience to shine through as he kept a cool head to help his side pull through wave after wave of Ecuadorian attacks.
What Young Goalkeepers Can Learn
Eloy Room's performance against Ecuador will go down as one for the history books, no doubt, but will also be an example for young goalkeepers.
Goalkeeping requires a 100 per cent focus and commitment during games, and Room showed that you can stay focused for 90 minutes, regardless of the pressure that comes your way.
Another lesson for young goalkeepers is that they can aim to improve between games, and can decide the outcome of games on their own. Room went from conceding seven against Germany to none against Ecuador in the space of a couple of days
Eloy Room has been a Curacao international since 2015 and is their joint-most capped player alongside captain Leandro Bacuna. He has stayed consistent and patient in his role for 11 years and was ripe when the time came for him to grab the headlines.
Why Football Loves Stories Like This
Football loves feel-good stories; from Leicester City winning the Premier League in 2016, to FC Porto winning the UEFA Champions League in 2004 and Greece winning Euro 2004, the sport loves it when the script is torn up.
Curacao had no business holding Ecuador to a scoreless draw in a FIFA World Cup game.
A country of around 160,000 people, they barely have any business being in the tournament, in the first place.
But they got there, and they have shown that they are no pushovers. That's what makes the story beautiful.
Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said after the match that his side deserved much more than they got, but he was wrong.
"The team deserved more than they got and I am the one who is responsible for that", he said.
What, then, does the team who proved that you can punch well above your weight deserve? The team that faced 27 shots without once backing down from the fight? The team that showed the courage to play after a 7-1 mauling?
The answer is simple. They got exactly what they deserved, and that's football.
Eloy Room trusted his gut in playing for Curacao when there was no fun on doing so, and he has earned his global recognition aged 37.
This, more than anything, is proof that with persistence, you will get to where you want. And this is why football loves these stories.
