FIFA World Cup 2022 highlights Netherlands vs Ecuador: NED, ECU play out 1-1 draw

Points shared and that means Qatar are officially knocked out. Ecuador deserved to win this match. Cody Gakpo scored a ripper early in the game but it was all Ecuador since then. Enner Valencia scored the equaliser but was later stretchered off the pitch. Netherlands had practically no entrances into the Ecuadorian final third in the last five minutes of regulation time or the six minutes of added time. 

Nopper tries to kick the ball upfield but it ends up hitting Rodriguez's back. Luckly for him, it goes out of play and not into goal. His career would've been flashing in front of his eyes there. 

Bit of a surprise that it is only six considering the amount of time it took for Valencia to go off. It doesn't look good at all for him, he had to be stretchered off the field. He got up once he reached the dug out and now has a big ice pack strapped to his right knee.

He is aggrieved by a problem with his right knee. Seems to be in a world of pain at the moment and the Ecuador fans will be hoping that it isn't too serious. 

The tireless Estupinan drives down the left and wins a corner. Netherlands are now caught in a cycle of defending, taking the ball, giving it away cheaply and defending the counter. 

Gakpo charges forward after receiving the ball on the right before trying to chip it over the onrushing goalkeeper. He misses the target but the flag has gone up for offside as well. 

For now, a Netherlands win looks quite unlikely. They finally get a period of sustained possession. Just before that Nathan Ake had prevented Estrada from taking a real strike after receiving the ball from Estupinan. 

64 mins: Netherlands give the ball away and take two shots. The first deflected away by Van Dijk and the second hits the woodwork.

GOAAAALL!!!! Valencia pulls off the equaliser for Ecuador, his third goal in two matches in this World Cup. 

Time to find out what's in store for the 2nd half. Will Netherlands consolidate their lead or can Ecuador pull off an equaliser? There goes the whistle. 

Lot of protests from the Ecuador players and the referee stoically asks them to leave the pitch. It was an Ethiopian corner which landed nice for Estupinan at the edge of the Dutch box. He drills in a volley that is deflected into goal. He wheels away to celebrate with his teammates, only to realised that the linesman had raised the offside flag. That was because a teammate was standing right in front of the goalkeeper in an offside position at the time the shot was taken. It was the right call from the referee but then of course the Ethiopian players don't feel the same way.  

VAR is taking a look but there could be a offside going against Ecuador's equaliser. 

Possession has been shared and Ecuador have certainly shown more attacking zest, although that might be because of the fact that they are a goal behind. Netherlands are leisurely allowing Ecuador to do whatever they want with the ball in the latter's half and not really doing much once they have it. Apart from that goal, this performance from them has been far from impressive. 

32 mins: Enner Valencia cuts in from the right and lets out a stinging shot at the near post. Andries Noppert throws himself to his right and parries it away for a corner which comes to nothing. 

30 mins: They manage to weather a storm of attacks from Ecuador and get a corner for themselves. That comes to nothing but the defenders then rush back to their places to stem the Ecuador counter. 

26 mins: Van Dijk put under pressure by a cross from Estupian's cross from the right and he just about manages to clear it. Michael Estrada was breathing down his neck. 

Bergwijn drives forward but then loses the ball, both teams. Ecuador then whip out a spelling of attacking momentum that breathes some life into this game. 

Precious little has happened apart from that goal in this match. Netherlands dominating possession with Ecuador making a couple of inconsequential ventures into the Dutch final third. 

Ecuador had gone 11 hours without conceding a goal before this and that has come to an end quite quickly. it is easily the quickest goal of the tournament thus far. What a tournament Gakpo is having. 

5 mins: Netherlands take the lead thanks to Cody Gakpo's thunderbolt. Gakpo smashes it into the roof of the net from the right with his left boot from outside the box after beeing set up by Davy Klaasen. The Dutch are in front inside the first six minutes. 

Right then, the referee blows that magic whistle and Ecuador get the ball rolling. Netherlands playing their famous orange kit, Ecuador in dark green and white. 

Virgil Van Dijk will lead out the Netherlands, Enner Valencia leading out Ecuador. Not long to go now. 

If Qatar had avoided defeat today, Netherlands would have needed a win here to make it mathematically impossible for them to fall out of the top two of the group. That didn't happen but it remains pretty improbable for the Netherlands to drop out of the qualification spots if they win today. Meanwhile, Senegal have got themselves going with their win over Qatar. The hosts are practically out after this while Senegal will also be in a pretty strong position if Netherlands beat Ecuador. Anything apart from a defeat for Netherlands would also make it mathematically impossible for Qatar to go through. 

Memphis Depay's recovery from a hamstring injury is apparently not fully complete and so he stays on the bench. 

Galindez, Angelo Preciado, Porozo, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan, Plata, Mendez, Caicedo, Estrada, Valencia.

Subs: Arboleda, Cifuentes, Pacho, Gruezo, Ayrton Preciado, Ibarra, Ramirez, Arreaga, Mena, Sarmiento, Palacios, Franco, Dominguez, Reasco, Rodriguez.