DOHA: Ecuador captain and forward struck briefly after the break to power his side to hold Netherlands for a 1-1 draw that resulted in the hosts Qatar crashing out of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Following Qatar’s second consecutive defeat earlier today when Senegal outclassed the hosts in a must-win game, the host nation needed Ecuador to beat the Netherlands in order to stay alive in the tournament.
The result, however, did not turn out in their favour and thus, crashed out from the group stage with one game to play.
The 1-1 stalemate also barred the Dutch to become the first side to qualify for the Round of 16 on Friday and will now have to wait until Tuesday.
The Dutch forward Cody Gakpo put his side in front with a superb strike in the sixth minute at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Following the early lead, the Netherlands were looking favourites to seal an easy victory but Ecuador held their composure and fought back and left the Dutch side rattled.
Their spirited fightback soon paid them when Ecuador’s key player Valencia fired an equalizer four minutes into the second half.
The two sides then carried on their respective hunt for a tie-breaker but to no avail and in the end settled for a 1-1 draw.
The Netherlands still top the standings of Group A despite the draw against Ecuador but only one point is separating them and Ecuador from third-placed Senegal.
Senegal and Ecuador will be up against each other in the last round of Group A matches on Tuesday, while the Netherlands will take on hosts Qatar on the same day.
Senegal would need to take down Ecuador in the virtual qualifier, while a draw each would be enough for Netherlands and Ecuador to storm through to the Round of 16.
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