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Curacao earned their first World Cup point. They reached this milestone with a 0-0 draw with Ecuador. This match was very important from a strategic point of view. It was a test match for Curacao coach Dick Avocat. Although he played in 4-4-2 formation in the first match, in this match he arranged the team in 5-4-1 formation. On the other hand, Ecuador's coach Sebastián Becasesi changed from 4-4-2 formation to 3-4-3 formation. Due to this tactical change of the two teams, there was a lot of excitement in the match. However, at the beginning of the match, there were not many opportunities for goals from both teams. After a corner in the 8th minute, Ecuador's players were awarded a foul near the penalty box after a tackle in Curacao's box. But the Ecuadorian players were angry because the referee did not give a penalty for the foul. Towards the end of the first half, Ecuador made several attempts to break down Curacao's defence. But Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Rum was in excellent form. Room made a great save in the 1 minute interval. An Ecuadorian player had a chance to score a goal with a header in the 2 minute interval. But he missed the target. The first half ended in a 0-0 draw. In the second half, Ecuador increased the pressure on Curacao. At the start of the 2nd half, Rume again made some great saves. At 52, 54, 56 minutes, three attempts to score from Ecuador's side were blocked by the room. Room was sent to the dugout for a rest on 62 minutes. Rowan Elzar replaces Rume as goalkeeper. But Rowan Al-Zar stepped on the field and conceded a goal within 3 minutes. In the 65th minute, Ecuador got a goal through a free-kick. But Curacao's players appealed for a VAR review. A VAR review showed an Ecuadorian player was fouled by another player in the penalty box while taking a free-kick. Because of this the goal is disallowed. In the 65th minute, Curacao captain Jens Kapp was replaced. Defender Kevin de Jong came on instead. Curaçao also changed the motors in the change of camp. They reverted from a 5-4-1 formation to a 4-4-2 formation. Kante was in an attacking midfielder role, but converted defender De Jong was a completely different type of player. Curacao's defense became stronger after De Jong came on. In the 73rd minute, Ecuador tried to score a goal. But this time against the referee's decision, Curacao applied for a VAR review to cancel the goal. A VAR review showed that an Ecuadorian player was offside when the goal was scored. In a strange situation, in the middle of the match, multiple goals were attempted by both teams. But in the end the result was 0-0. Second goalkeeper Rowan Al-Zar said after the match, "We got our first point. We are very happy. Hopefully, we can get more points in the next matches." --- ## Related Articles 1. [Japan Dominates Tunisia 4-0 in World Cup 2026 Opener](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/japan-dominates-tunisia-4-0-in-world-cup-2026-opener) 2. [Eloy Room shines as the player of the day when defending Curaçao in style](https://torcidanet.live/pt/news/eloy-room-brilha-como-o-fazer-do-dia-ao-defender-curacao-em-grande-estilo)