Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador: Honours even as Valencia equaliser cancels out Gakpo stunner
Netherlands and Ecuador played out an enticing 1-1 draw at the Khalifa International Stadium in the penultimate game in Group A on Friday.
Cody Gakpo put Netherlands ahead five minutes with a stunning effort from just outside the box and the Dutch looked set to dominate the game. Ecuador remained resilient and got their equaliser minutes after half-time, with Enner Valencia tapping home following a spillage from Netherlands keeper Andries Noppert.
Netherlands made three changes from the side that beat Senegal 2-0 on Monday. Jurrien Timber replaced Matthijs De Ligt at centre-back, Teun Koopmeiners came in for Steven Berghuis, and Davy Klaassen, scorer of the Dutch’s second in their group opener, was preferred to Vincent Janssen.
The big team news for Ecuador was the inclusion of their all-time top goal scorer Enner Valencia. The 33-year-old limped off late in Sunday’s game against the hosts with a knee strain and had a scan to see the extent of the injury but was declared fit. The only other change for Ecuador was Jackson Porozo replacing Romario Ibarra in defence.
The Netherlands started in emphatic fashion. Davy Klaassen picked up the ball just outside the box and left it for Cody Gakpo to collect. The latter ran into the vacated space and drilled a stunning shot from just outside the box, which beat Ecuador’s Hernán Galíndez at his near post.
Two in two now for the rising superstar from PSV Eindhoven.
Ecuador responded well to going behind. They held possession well and had some positive forays into the Dutch’s final third. Some good defending, particularly from Nathan Aké and Virgil Van Dijk, kept them at bay.
Enner Valencia then had Ecuador’s first chance of the game, forcing Andries Noppert into a good stop on the half hour mark.
Ecuador remained resilient and thought they had an equaliser just before half-time when Brighton’s Pervis Estupiñán drilled a low shot from outside the box that deflected into the net. However, the goal was ruled out as Jackson Porozo was judged to have been interfering with the goalkeeper’s line of sight.
Ecuador started the second half in similar fashion to the Dutch with a goal. Estupiñán bombed forward and hit a tame shot at Noppert, who spilled the shot straight into the path of Valencia who graciously tapped home.
Amazingly, they nearly took the lead moments later. Valencia was again in the mix as his shot was blocked away by Van Dijk. The ball then fell to Gonzalo Plata, who rifled a venomous shot off the Dutch woodwork with Noppert beaten.
On the hour mark, Netherlands looked rattled and Ecuador were in the ascendancy. The Dutch, who looked so assured in the opening phases of the game, were struggling to stifle the pressure from their rejuvenated opposition.
The hectic manner the game had adopted following the equaliser was nullified going into the last ten minutes. Goalscoring opportunities had dried up, but Ecuador still offered a threat on the counter, whereas Netherlands were struggling to break down their opponent’s defense. It seemed as if both sides were settling for a draw.
There were virtually no chances of note and the game eventually trickled out with a point shared at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Both sides need just a point from their remaining group stage fixtures to progress to the knockout stages. Netherlands will feel confident against an already eliminated Qatar whereas Ecuador will face off against a Senegal side who will also be vying for a spot in the next round.
