Ever seen a team win by a score of 0-0?
The World Cup is something else. From the fanfest in downtown KC all the way to Arrowhead, it was a special atmosphere. Even when the teams came out to warm up 50 minutes prior to kickoff, it was exciting, and the environment was like a celebration from the start.
I'd estimate the stadium as having been 80% for Ecuador, 5% for Curaçao, and 15% neutral. When Ecuador came onto the field, and especially when their anthem played, you could tell how much it meant to them to be here at the tournament, with practically every supporter full-throatedly singing along. Curaçao had only a few small sections of supporters, but they sang their anthem with as much gusto as the Ecuadorans.
From the opening kickoff, the atmosphere was intense and electric, but unlike a lot of heated sporting matches I've attended, there wasn't any animosity evident. Fans of both teams seemed to get along well and appreciated the good plays by both sides. Curaçao had several surprising chances early on, which I think caught the Ecuadorans by surprise, but by the 30th minute it was Ecuador who was heavily carrying the play.
Being 0-0 at the half seemed surprising to both teams - Curaçao and their fans were happy, while Ecuador and their fans seemed restless and frustrated. The second half became a clinic in goalkeeping by Curaçao as Ecuador turned up the pressure, and I lost count of how many corners, free kicks, and chances Ecuador managed to put over or off the crossbar or were saved, sometimes in rapid succession, by Curaçao.
Curaçao had several chances on the counterattack of their own, but they seemed to get bogged down every time they got the ball into the box. Part of this no doubt was due to Ecuador's elite defense, featuring players who faced off against each other last month in the Champions League Final, but it also seemed like Curaçao surprised at their good fortune while attacking, several times putting the ball into traffic rather than hitting an open man.
We were pulling for Ecuador because of my friend Juan Jose, but pretty much from the first minutes of the game, we found ourselves secretly cheering for the massive underdogs. By the end of the match, I think that most of the stadium was cheering for every Curaçao save. We were seated near the goal where the second half action was concentrated, so it made for some absolutely phenomenal viewing.
When the whistle blew after 95 minutes, you'd think that Curaçao had won the group rather than tying 0-0. Ecuador walked off the field dejectedly, while the Curaçao squad did a lap of the field, thanking the fans. Their own fans were of course the most excited, but the display of defense and goaltending against a constant attack for almost the entire final 35 minutes had won over the Ecuadoran fans as well, thousand of whom stood and applauded the spirit of a team representing a nation 116 times smaller than their own. As they did following their 7-1 loss to Germany last week, a number of Curaçao players gathered at midfield alongside several of their opponents to pray, which only made me like them more.
The walk out of the stadium was also special. Curaçao fans were openly celebrating and singing, and Ecuador fans, many of whom, including Juan Jose, looked like they were in the mood to commit war crimes only a few minutes before were caught up in the feeling and celebrated with them. This jubilation continued all the way to the buses which brought us back downtown.
Ivory Coast will almost certainly beat Curaçao this week, which will knock them out of the tournament, and Germany has already secured first place, leaving Ecuador a slight chance to advance in third place.
However, Curaçao were winners before even stepping foot on the field, having made history as the smallest country in history to qualify for the World Cup, with a population of only 158,000. They have already outdone themselves at the tournament as well, scoring against powerhouse Germany, a country with 529x their population and 805x their area, and becoming by far the smallest country to earn a point in group play with tonight's tie. They've certainly won me over as a fan.
Michael Pfeifer
Chicago, IL