Jansen 'couldn’t sleep' after watching friend set World Cup saves record

DETROIT -- What happens when MLB’s active saves leader watches a friend set a World Cup single-match saves record?

“I couldn’t go to sleep, because my adrenaline was so up,” said Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who watched his native Curaçao battle Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Saturday night to earn its first-ever World Cup point.

Jansen is a big soccer fan who knows several members of the national team, including goalkeeper Eloy Room, who made 15 saves in the match to set a World Cup record for saves in a shutout. It was an ideal nightcap to a day that began with Jansen earning his 485th career save in the Tigers’ 4-1 win over the White Sox.

“I was surprised, man,” Jansen said. “I didn't believe it until it got to 80 minutes. I was like, 'Oh shoot, we might get a point here.'”

While Jansen pitched for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, Curaçao’s World Cup roster features several players who were born in the Netherlands but represent the island country, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curaçao, which was part of the Netherlands Antilles for several decades, has been competing under its own name since 2010 and qualified for the World Cup for the first time this year.

It’s a huge source of pride for Jansen, who follows the team passionately and thought they missed a chance at a first-half goal with an extra pass from another of his friends, midfielder Tahith Chong. But after last weekend’s 7-1 loss to Germany to open the tournament, he’ll gladly take the draw.

Room and Jansen have another thing in common besides saves: They’ve both played for years in the United States. Now 37, Room played five seasons for the Columbus Crew in MLS and now plays for Miami FC in the USL Championship, the same league as Detroit City FC.

Saturday’s performance wasn’t an outlier.

“He’s that good, man,” Jansen said.

Jansen said he received a call after the game from Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, who attended the match.

“He’s like, ‘Do you see how we feel now when you’re pitching,’” Jansen said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah. I get that. I don’t know whether to stand or sit, when to use the restroom. I got a headache with that one.”