The Netherlands and Ecuador tied 1-1, this Friday afternoon (25) at the Khalifa International Stadium, in Doha, for the second round of Group A of the Qatar Cup. With that result, the two teams are tied at the top of the key with four points. Wales, on the other hand, appears in third, with only one point and a remote chance of qualifying, while Qatar is eliminated after two defeats.
Each team takes a point!@adidasfootball ?? #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 25, 2022
Mechanic Orange’s goal was scored just after 5 minutes of the opening stage, thanks to a shot from the entrance to the area by striker Gakpo. That was the fastest goal of this edition of the tournament so far. In the sequence, Ecuador went up.
The best chance of the opening stage for the South American team was created in the 49th minute, when full-back Estupiñán deflected Ángelo Preciado’s shot into the goal. However, the referee Mustapha Ghorbal, with the help of the VAR (video referee), invalidated the move by marking Porozo’s offside, who effectively participated in the bid for being in front of the Dutch goalkeeper Noppert.
But it didn’t take long for Ecuador to score and tie the game. Just three minutes into the final stage, after an error by the Netherlands, Estupiñan hit from outside the area. Goalkeeper Noppert couldn’t hold it and Enner Valencia finished for the net. He became the Cup’s top scorer with three goals.
? Noted. pic.twitter.com/zeLeS004ht
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 25, 2022
Then the match heated up, with opportunities side by side. At 13, Plata took a rebound and hit hard from the left from the edge of the area and the ball exploded in the Dutch crossbar. In the 27th minute, Gakpo received the ball in the face of the Ecuadorian goalkeeper, tried to touch it over the top, but saw the ball go past the right post.
Next Tuesday (29) the two classified from Group A for the round of 16 will be defined. At 12:00 (Brasília time), the Netherlands takes on the eliminated Qatar. The European team passes the stage even with a draw. Also at 12 noon, Ecuador faces Senegal. The South American team is playing for another equality to advance and the Africans need a victory to move forward.
