Cody Gakpo scored again at the World Cup but the Netherlands missed out on a place in the last 16 on Friday after being held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Ecuador that resulted in the elimination of hosts Qatar. Gakpo, the gangly PSV Eindhoven forward who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, put the Netherlands in front with a stunning sixth-minute strike at the Khalifa International Stadium. Nevertheless, with a large and vocal support behind them, the Ecuadorians fought with such ferocity that the Dutch were horrified, and they deserved a draw when it came to Ener Valencia Four minutes after half time.
It was Ecuador captain Valencia’s third World Cup goal, following a brace from earlier in his country’s opening win over Qatar.
And one consequence of this result is that the host nation, which has already lost twice, is the first team to be knocked out of its own World Cup.
In contrast, three-time losing finalists the Netherlands did not advance to the next round, with one point separating them, Ecuador and Senegal, who had earlier beaten Qatar 3–1.
Ecuador and Senegal meet next Tuesday in the last round of Group A matches, while Louis van Gaal’s Dutch side take on the hosts knowing a draw will ensure their place in the knockout stage.
There was a lot of talk about this game before memphis depeThe Barcelona forward impressed as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 win over Senegal in his first game in two months after a thigh injury.
While he once again started on the bench here, it was the 23-year-old Gakpo who again starred in front of goal.
Scorer of the late opener against Senegal, he found an early breakthrough on this occasion, Hernán Galindez’s hopeless dive and set up a left-footed shot between the left-hand post. Davy Klassen,
– Worthy Equalizer –
Yet, remarkably, the Netherlands’ only goal was on target as they were pushed back by Ecuador for most of the rest of the game.
Giant Dutch goalkeeper Andries Knoppert had to get down to his right to keep out a shot from Valencia, who was in doubt over fitness before the match.
Ecuador then thought they had equalized in stoppage time of the first half when Parvis Estupinan diverted an Angelo Preciado shot into the net, but the goal was disallowed for an offside against Jackson Porrojo.
Depay then came on for Steven Bergwijn early in the second half but Ecuador soon equalised.
Estupinen was involved again as the Brighton & Hove Albion wing-back’s shot was saved by Knoppert, but Valencia followed up to convert the loose ball.
They could have even won it, with Gonzalo Plata crashing a shot off the crossbar just before the hour mark.
An encouraging evening for Ecuador was spoiled by seeing Valencia taken off on a stretcher late on and then sitting with ice around his right knee, and they will hope their all-time top scorer recovers quickly.
They will certainly need them for a thrilling encounter with Senegal to make the last 16 – a stage they have only reached once before, when they were beaten 1-0 by England in 2006.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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