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Netherlands, Ecuador settle for draw, end Qatar's campaign (Image Source: Twitter)
The FIFA World Cup 2022 kicked off in Qatar on November 20 and it was Netherlands and Ecuador who clashed against each other in the epic encounter on November 25, Friday and the Oranje looked in great touch as they managed to score a goal within just 10 minutes into the game, courtesy Cody Gakpo.
To add more to the first half, although Ecuador managed to get one shot past the goalkeeper, it was eventually called an offside and eventually the goal was ruled out, keeping Netherlands in the lead 1-0. With two teams sharing almost equal possession, the match looked equally poised at the stroke of the first-half whistle, although Netherlands looked like the favourites to win the game.
Ecuador make comeback in epic clash in FIFA World Cup 2022
Concerning the second half, Netherlands got off to a poor start as Ecuador’s Enner Valencia eventually managed to match the lead, gifting his country, much-needed hope to take home the much-needed win, although Netherlands’ defence strengthened post his goal.
Gonzalo Plata’s shot at the 60-minute mark eventually went in vain as it came off the crossbar, missing out on an opportunity yet again for Ecuador. The Oranje, on the other hand, kept piling on chances and making it tough for the opponents to take a lead.
Ecuador tried to restrict Netherlands to take the lead and eventually piled on opportunities to make it count in the must-win clash, given that the team defeated the hosts Qatar in the first match of the tournament, with a scoreline of 0-2.
With both teams awaiting their chance to score the equaliser, Netherlands and Ecuador kept fighting it hard in the middle, with the match bracing for a draw. And eventually, the match ended in a draw with both teams remaining at 1-1 and ending the hopes of Qatar making it through to the next round.
While both teams are yet to taste a defeat in the tournament, it remains to be seen if both teams can make it through to the next round. If at all the two teams manage to make it through, they can be extremely threatening, given that the tournament is fast becoming a tournament of upsets.