Sawt Falasteen - Curacao firmly on the map after World Cup heroics

Dick Advocaat's men, against all the odds, still have a chance to reach the knockout phase after holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Eloy Room proved an impregnable last line of defence, making 15 saves as Curacao held a team ranked more than 50 places higher than them to a stalemate.

Fans, vastly outnumbered by yellow-clad Ecuador supporters, celebrated wildly in a stadium that can hold nearly half of Curacao's population of around 160,000.

It was a dramatic turnaround after the World Cup newcomers were humiliated 7-1 in their opening match against Germany.

Veteran Dutch boss Advocaat had urged supporters to be realistic before Saturday's match against Ecuador, who finished second in South American World Cup qualifying.

But his team showed grit and adventure on a captivating evening at the Arrowhead Stadium -- the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs.

The final whistle sparked wild celebrations, with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands joining players in the dressing room.

Curacao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Out of the 26-strong squad, 25 were born in the European nation and many play there.

Livano Comenencia, who became a hero after scoring against Germany, hailed Curacao as "history makers" after their historic draw in America's Midwest.

"It means everything," said the Zurich defender. "One point at a World Cup, it's history. We already made history with the first goal and now with one point as well."

And he stressed that the dream was not yet over, with a decisive match against Ivory Coast still to come.

"We still have to believe in it. We have to do it," he said.

Miami FC forward Jurgen Locadia said Curacao had created a "lovely little chapter", pointing to their strengths.

"We have the heart of our homeland. And we've gone through the Dutch youth academy. That's a good combination," he said.

- 'Everybody knows Curacao' -

Supporters of the Blue Wave are enjoying the wild ride.

Sue Vandaalen, 38, an accountant from Curacao, told AFP that even making it to the World Cup was a "win" for the island.

"We're totally happy and we're blessed to be here, so it feels really good," she said.

"Everybody's like crazy, crazy, crazy over there (in Curacao), but enjoying it because this is like one of the most beautiful opportunities we have to set the island on the map.

"In the past we had to explain ourselves and say, 'Oh, Curacao is next to Aruba or in front of Venezuela', and now everybody knows Curacao."

Yannick Ersilia, an investment and project coordinator from Curacao, said the team's success would have far-reaching effects, on and off the field.

"We'll see the newer generation all wanting to be footballers now," he said. "I think that will be good for the island.

"And the ripple effect on everything else, for the economy, for tourism, it will be amazing," said the 41-year-old.

"The funny thing is, people used to know Curacao as the island next to Aruba, but now they know Curacao as a whole, you know? That's a good thing."

Curacao defender Roshon van Eijma, who plays in the Netherlands for RKC Waalwijk, said the team had proved their doubters wrong and hoped their run would create a legacy.

"A lot of things were said about us in the media, that we don't deserve our spot at the World Cup," he said. "But we showed ourselves today again (Saturday), so we'll see what happens next week."

He said he hoped the team's World Cup exploits would encourage a new crop of home-grown footballers.

"I think the younger generation looks up to us and maybe they'll also want to play football instead of baseball."

V.AbuAwwad--SF-PST