Qatar became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. The Dutch and Ecuador each have four points, Senegal have three. Qatar are without a point after losing their opener 0-2 to Ecuador, then went down 1-3 to Senegal earlier on Friday. They can’t qualify no matter what in their final game against the Dutch on Tuesday.
The Netherlands took an early lead in the game with Cody Gakpo scoring the fastest goal of the tournament in the sixth minute, but their dominance didn’t last long. The goal prompted Ecuador to improve their game and dictated the conditions, especially in the second half. The equalizer for the South American side came early in the second half when their talismanic skipper Enner Valence scored his third goal of the tournament in the 49th minute.
Each team scores a point!@adidasfootball | #Fifa World Cup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) 1669399191000
Ecuador continued to press for the winner and registered as many as 15 shots on goal in the game, four of them on target, while the Dutch only managed two attempts, including the opening goal.
Valencia, 33, scored their third goal of the tournament on a second-half rebound after Cody Gakpo had given the Dutch the lead in the sixth minute with a sizzling shot.
Ecuador had a lackluster first half as Louis van Gaal’s side looked comfortable but not rushed. But the South Americans, roared by a large yellow-clad contingent at the Khalifa International Stadium, kicked into high gear in the second half and could have won when Gonzalo PlataThe shot hits the crossbar.
Plato fired a powerful shot into the woodwork in the 59th minute as the South Americans went from strength to strength, constantly jostling the Dutch off the ball applying physically demanding press that did not allow their opponents to play their fluid game usual.
It had started out looking most promising for the Dutch, looking for their second win of the tournament that would have ensured they were the first team to advance to the knockout stages, when Gakpo scored.
A stray ball returns to his defense by Moises Caicedo was stolen by Davy Klaassen, who then let Gakpo gain possession and send a left-footed rocket into the net.
But it was as good as it gets for Louis van Gaal’s side. Valencia’s clever pass on 24 minutes sent Caicedo down the left and, although his touch was heavy and allowed the Dutch to intercept, it caused an explosion of noise from the large number of their supporters who injected energy into the Ecuadorian players.
Valencia cut inside to fire a shot that forced a full save from Dutch keeper Andries Noppert shortly after the half-hour mark and, as they kept up the pressure, Ecuador had the ball in the back of the net in the first half. Pervis Estupinan deflected the ball home.
However, that was ruled out as Jackson Porozo was both offside and standing in front of the goalkeeper and blocking his line of sight.
The equalizer four minutes into the second half was still on the cards, as Ecuador stole possession in midfield and fed Estupinan for a stinging shot down the left which Noppert did well from parry but with Valencia leaping on the rebound.
The 33-year-old, who came off towards the end of the game, has now scored Ecuador’s last six goals in a World Cup final – three in the 2014 tournament in Brazil and three in Qatar.
(With agency contributions)
