Eloy Room puts in a World Cup masterclass

The interesting part is that this was not just about volume, it was about timing. A keeper can rack up saves in a comfortable game, but doing it under sustained pressure in a World Cup match makes it much more valuable and much harder to dismiss.
 
The officials are going to get away with this being talked about as just a keeper story but anyone watching can see how much the rhythm of the game was being broken up and how every little thing seemed to go one way and then the other and it is maddening because when a side is peppering a goal like that and still not getting the reward you start wondering what exactly the ref is allowing and whether the pressure is being managed properly and all the little stoppages and decisions just make everyone more frustrated and then the keeper gets even more chances to settle in and look like a hero and that is not me saying he was not brilliant because he clearly was but the whole thing had that feeling of officials letting the match drift into chaos and once that happens the attacking side is always the one that feels robbed and everybody leaves angry
 
It was a standout performance, but the save count also tells you how much Ecuador controlled the game. Room deserves the praise, and Ecuador will be annoyed they did not turn that pressure into goals.
 
I was half watching this and then suddenly realised the keeper had turned into the main character and that is the best part of football sometimes because one bloke can just steal the whole show and leave everyone else looking ordinary and i love that sort of chaos
 
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