Netherlands and Senegal finish 1 and 2 atop Group A
The World Cup is rapidly approaching the knockout rounds, and Group A’s conclusion on Tuesday saw the Netherlands and Senegal advance.
At Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar’s World Cup came to a humbling close, with the Netherlands easing to the victory it needed to win the group. Cody Gakpo continued his strong showing at the tournament with another goal, finishing with authority after the Dutch powered their way through some Qatari congestion outside the area.
Qatar came out in the second half looking for at least a point to spare its blushes but quickly ended up further behind. Frenkie de Jong notched his first World Cup goal, arriving first to prod home a rebound after Memphis Depay’s shot wasn’t held by goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.
The Netherlands had a third chalked off after Gakpo handled during the buildup and comfortably saw things out from there, winning 2-0 and finishing atop the group on seven points.
Meanwhile, things were getting wild about 31 miles to the south at Khalifa International Stadium. Senegal and Ecuador took the pitch knowing that there was no way both could advance, and their contest was suitably dramatic.
The Senegal players, beginning the day in third place, were the early aggressors but didn’t get their breakthrough until Ismaïla Sarr drew a foul from Pedro Hincapié in the box. Sarr popped up to convert the spot kick himself, sending the Lions of Teranga into the locker room with a lead.
Every goal flipped what both teams needed on its head, and Ecuador threw numbers forward while Senegal dropped into a back five. Eventually, that pressure paid off, with Ecuador – which scored seven set piece goals in CONMEBOL qualifying – going back to that particular well to equalize. Félix Torres knocked a 67th-minute corner down, and Moisés Caicedo arrived to fire home at the back post.
Ecuador’s excitement didn’t last three full minutes, though, as it conceded a nearly identical goal in the 70th minute. A Senegal free kick barely evaded its target, but Enner Valencia’s attempt to intervene functioned just like Torres’ cushioned header had on Caicedo’s goal, sending the ball right into Kalidou Koulibaly’s path.
The Chelsea defender had never scored an international goal, but he finished like a natural to restore Senegal’s lead.
Again, play shifted, with Senegal dropping numbers back and Ecuador pumping the ball toward goal whenever possible. The Senegalese had just enough in the tank to win those late headers, hanging on to get themselves into the knockout round for the first time since 2002. It’s an impressive result given that they lost their biggest star, Sadio Mané, to a pre-tournament injury.
By advancing, the Netherlands will face the USA, runner-up from Group B. Senegal, meanwhile, will face England, Group A’s top side.