La Tricolor had the lion’s share of possession and chances but Eloy Room ensured Curacao went home with their first World Cup point.
Ecuador 0-0 Curacao
Ecuador took the game to Curacao in Kansas City but the evening turned out to be an Eloy Room masterpiece. The Blue Wave keeper made a number of incredible saves, helping the Concacaf side secure their first ever point at the FIFA World Cup™.
La Tricolor started brightly as Moises Caicedo unleashed Enner Valencia with a brilliant ball over the top. Valencia was left one on one with Room, but failed to find a way past the Caribbean keeper; setting the tone for the night.
Early on, the Blue Wave were able to take advantage of the space Ecuador left as they pushed for an opener. Bacuna and Locadia made good runs into space and created chances for their midfielders, but they were also unable to find the back of the net.
As the half went on Ecuador attacked in waves, but no one could find a way past the imperious Room.
As time wound down, Ecuador pressed even harder for a goal and Valencia nearly scored a strong header from a whipped in cross, only to be denied by Room.
Ecuador hit the woodwork three times and had nearly 30 attempts, but were unable to find a way through the Caribbean side’s defence. The draw means that Germany will qualify for the Round of 32 as Group E winners. The other three sides in the group enter the final matchday with the opportunity to progress to the knockout phase.
Key stat
This is just the third goalless draw in 33 World Cup encounters between CONMEBOL and Concacaf nations. The other two were:
Uruguay 0-0 Mexico – 1966 group stage Brazil 0-0 Mexico – 2014 group stage
Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match
Eloy Room (Curacao)