By Lori Ewing
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 20 (Reuters) - As Curacao's players celebrated their first ever World Cup point after a 0-0 draw with Ecuador on Saturday, coach Dick Advocaat's thoughts went to the streets, bars and homes of the tiny Caribbean island where a nation of 156,000 was rejoicing.
The former Netherlands coach said the result, secured thanks to goalkeeper Eloy Room's 15 saves, was reward for supporters who never lost faith despite a bruising 7-1 defeat by Germany in their World Cup
debut six days earlier.
"The people on Curacao have given us their support from the of outset," Advocaat said. "Particularly last week, after the 7-1, people were still celebrating on the island and people were full of joy.
"It was a mad house tonight. So I think that for people whose life is not always that easy, I really wish them to celebrate this success."
Advocaat said the warm reception the players received after the loss to Germany had left a lasting impression and helped fuel their response against Ecuador.
And while he had been teary-eyed during the Germany game, the 78-year-old coach was relatively calm on Saturday.
"Today I wasn't that emotional, not like during the first match, not at all today, because I felt that we were properly playing the match, and then you don't have to become emotional," he said.
"What did evoke emotions during the first match was the fact that we had lost 7-1 and that the audience was so enthusiastic in welcoming the players. Usually, you're (criticised) in such a case, but the opposite happened.
"(The team) gave it back to the audience today. I thought that was a wonderful moment to experience."
For many observers, Curacao's opening rout appeared to confirm fears that FIFA's expanded 48-team tournament would produce a string of one-sided contests.
Advocaat, however, said his side's performance against Ecuador showed the true level of his players.
"Maybe Germany came too early," he said. "That day they were simply out of our league, but today the team was standing as it should have been standing.
"They were fighting like lions and then you see what you can achieve against a team that's playing on a very high level with very high individual levels of the players."
And with Curacao still alive heading into their final group game, Advocaat had a message for those celebrating back home.
"What I would say to the people? Keep supporting us, keep helping us. It gives us wings," he said. "We fight for the country."
Curacao play Ivory Coast in their final Group E game while Ecuador face Germany.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
