Ecuador had the chances, the territory and the pressure. They just did not have the finish. Curaçao somehow walked away with a 0-0 draw, and Eloy Room turned the match into a one-man fantasy story.
This was not a quiet goalless draw. Ecuador threw everything at it, Enner Valencia kept finding shooting positions, and Curaçao spent long spells defending their box. The problem for fantasy is simple: if you cannot finish against Curaçao, Germany in MD3 is not exactly the comfort blanket.
Here are the Demon Notes from Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao: Room's save haul, Ecuador's wasteful night, Valencia's chances and what it means before MD3.
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
- Goals: none
- Standout fantasy return: Eloy Room 14 MD2 points
- Key story: Ecuador created loads but could not score
- Curaçao note: first World Cup point after heavy MD1 defeat
- Next fixtures: Ecuador v Germany, Curaçao v Ivory Coast
Team Stats
Player Stats
| Player | Pos | Price | MD2 pts | Match stats | MD3 note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eloy Room | GK | £3.9m | 14 | 15 saves, clean sheet | Hero night, but Ivory Coast is still a tough next fixture |
| Enner Valencia | FWD | £5.9m | 4 | 8 shots, 5 on target, 1.50 xG | Chance magnet, but Germany makes him a risky chase |
| Piero Hincapie | DEF | £4.7m | 9 | Clean sheet, 0.59 xG | Good MD2 score, poor MD3 fixture |
| Gonzalo Plata | FWD | £5.6m | 3 | 6 shots, 4 on target, 6 key passes | Threat was there, end product was not |
| Moises Caicedo | MID | £6.8m | 3 | 7 key passes | Good creator, not an obvious fantasy buy |
Demon Notes
- Ecuador were wasteful. That is the polite version. They had the ball, kept arriving in good areas, and still found a way to turn a must-win attacking fixture into a blank.
- Valencia (£5.9m) was everywhere the ball needed to be, which is why the stat line looks strong. Eight shots and five on target usually gives you points. This time it gave Curaçao a goalkeeper story.
- Room (£3.9m) was ridiculous. Fifteen saves and a clean sheet is the sort of fantasy haul you screenshot even if you never seriously planned to own him.
- Plata (£5.6m) and Yeboah (£5.1m) both had moments, but this is where eye test and fantasy decision-making split. Threat is nice. Germany next is not.
- Curaçao deserve credit. After being battered by Germany in MD1, they stayed compact, rode their luck and gave themselves a tiny chance going into MD3.
What It Means For MD3
Ecuador get Germany next. That is the main reason not to chase this performance. Valencia has the best attacking profile, but the fixture is hard and Ecuador have just shown they are not clinical.
If you already own an Ecuador defender, the clean sheet was lovely. Buying one now is different. Germany will ask much harder questions, and Ecuador may need to attack the game rather than sit in.
Curaçao face Ivory Coast. Room is a brilliant story, but chasing a goalkeeper after a 15-save miracle is usually late. He could make saves again, but the clean sheet is unlikely and the defence will probably be under pressure.
Verdict: fade Ecuador for MD3 unless you are deliberately gambling on Valencia. The performance said threat. The fixture says be careful.