For us here in Latin America, Saturday’s World Cup story was Ecuador’s missed chance. Ecuador controlled the ball, created the better chances and fired repeatedly at Curaçao’s goal. It still walked away with only a 0-0 draw, a result that leaves La Tri under real pressure heading into its final Group E match against Germany.
Curaçao, meanwhile, earned the first World Cup point in its history behind a remarkable performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room. Reuters reported Room made 15 saves as Ecuador outshot Curaçao heavily but failed to break through.
The result was painful for Ecuador because the group had opened badly. After losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast in its first match, Ecuador needed three points against the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. Instead, it now has one point from two games and no goals scored. Its final match against Germany on Thursday, June 25, has become a must-deliver game. A win would give Ecuador four points and a possible path through, at least as a third-place contender. A draw would leave it on two points, almost certainly needing help elsewhere.
Curaçao’s point was historic, and not just sentimental. After losing 7-1 to Germany in its opener, the Caribbean side could have folded. Instead, it defended with discipline, survived wave after wave of Ecuador pressure and turned the match into one of the tournament’s best underdog stories so far. For CONCACAF, it was a rare moment where a debutant from the region changed the shape of a group.
Germany did its part earlier in the day, beating Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto to secure a place in the knockout rounds. Deniz Undav came off the bench to score twice, including a stoppage-time winner, after Germany had trailed at halftime. That result confirmed Germany as Group E leader with six points and left Ivory Coast on three.
That matters directly for Ecuador. Group E now runs through Germany, while Ecuador’s realistic battle is to stay alive in the standings and hope the expanded 48-team format gives third-place teams enough room. The final day in the group will pair Ecuador against Germany and Curaçao against Ivory Coast. Ecuador needs to score. More than that, it needs to look like the aggressive, dangerous team its lineup suggests it can be.
The day’s other match was in Group F, where the Netherlands crushed Sweden 5-1 in Houston. Brian Brobbey scored twice early, Cody Gakpo added two more after halftime and Crysencio Summerville finished the rout late. Sweden had entered the game with confidence after a 5-1 opening win over Tunisia, but the Dutch punished a slow start and took control of the group.
The feeling across Latin America including here in Costa Rica, Ecuador is the team left with the most to regret. Brazil and Mexico have already moved into stronger positions, while Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Panama still have chances to shape their groups in the coming days. Ecuador now has the narrowest road, with Germany waiting and little margin left after two matches without a win.
