The Netherlands and Senegal qualified for the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup
. The oranje side overcame hosts Qatar 2-0
to take the top of group A with seven points.
Second place, on six points for
Senegal who beat Ecuador
2-1.
In the standings Holland at 7 points, Senegal at 6, Ecuador at 4 and last the landlords of Qatar at 0 points.
Gakpo drags Netherlands to round of 16, Qatar scoreless
The third goal in three matches by rising star Cody Gakpo paves the way for Holland to reach the round of 16, who rule the willing but weak Qatar 2-0 with the contribution of De Jong.
Deserved and obvious first place finish ahead of Senegal, which allows Van Gaal's team to face the second of group B. Diligent task for the Dutch, who take advantage of the circumstances to add more playing time to Memphis Depay, which could affect the direct eliminations .
But the driver of the team is Gakpo (one goal with a header, one with the left and one with the right), a complete striker who can repeat the exploits of the great goalscorers of the past.
After a half-season as a protagonist in PSV, he can be one of the stars of the next summer transfer market.
The other two Dutch giants are the lords of defense and midfield, Van Dijk and De Jong.
Good performance by Klaaessen and De Roon, less aggressive than usual Dumfries.
Qatar leaves its World Cup with no regrets or points: Mohammad and goalkeeper Meshall Barsham, brother of Mutaz, ex aequo gold with Tamberi in the top at the 2021 Olympics did well. First game from the start for Memphis Depay after the muscle injury that he blocked it in September and the remnants of the first two rounds.
With Codby Gakpo it's a duo destined to last in a Netherlands that takes full advantage of an easy group to qualify from first.
Van Gaal still hopes to improve on his third place finish in 2014 before handing over to Ronald Koeman in January.
The team is reliable and structured and does not have a De Ligt starting position, perhaps so as not to overshadow the Van Dijk defense totem.
Qatar comes out on tiptoe, the difference with almost all the national teams present is too much.
The match is channeled according to the forecasts.
The Netherlands commands the game in midfield with De Jong, who makes use of the interdiction work of the Atalantino De Roon preferred to Koopmeiners, who takes over for him in the final.
Klaassen moves a lot from half forward, leaving room for de Jong's insertions.
Depay wants to make a difference, but he puts too much effort into it, even if his plays are always quality.
His shot in the 25th minute was rebounded, but the goal came a minute later: Klaassen cue Gakpo who made his way through three opponents and found the corner.
Qatar is committed but, apart from a shot by Mohammad that doesn't worry Noppert (goalkeeper with a negligible past in Serie B with Foggia), they create little, also because the talented Afif is inconclusive.
In the second half a slight acceleration allows the
Holland to double in the 4th minute: Klaessen crosses for Depay who finishes strong, Barsham rejects, De Jong anticipates Pedro and puts in.
The victory is in the safe but the 2-0 does not change despite the good will of the newcomer Berghuis: in the 25th minute a goal is canceled by the Var due to a handball by Gakpo and in the 46th minute his shot is printed at the cross poles.
Holland advances confidently, Qatar leaves the scene with dignity.
World Cup: Koulibaly dominates and scores, Senegal in the
round of 16 The African champions led by an amazing Kalidou Koulibaly lived up to the prediction, qualifying for the round of 16 of the World Cup together with the other favorites of group A, Holland.
In the 'play-off' with Ecuador, Aliou Cisse's team achieved the only useful result, winning 2-1 thanks to a penalty from Sarr and a goal from the former Napoli centre-back who immediately pushed the team back Ecuador after Caicedo's draw.
Big party at the Khalifa International in Doha, also attended by the No. 1 of Fifa.
Gianni Infantino, where the majority of fans were for the Teranga Lions and never stopped cheering on a team that has so far been able to react best to the absence of his star,
The coach, Aliou Cisse, made three changes to the team that had beaten Qatar last Friday, inserting Pape Gueye and Ciss in midfield and Ndiaye as a right winger, an immediate thorn in Ecuador's side. the other side was the top scorer of the World Cup, Enner Valencia, in doubt due to a knee problem but coach Alfaro positioned him on the left, also with cover duties, slowing down his push a bit.
In defense, Ecuador presented itself with a back four and the inclusion of two midfielders.
This solution, together with the dangerous awareness of having two out of three results available, led the South Americans to have a wait-and-see approach and immediately suffered pressure from the Senegalese.
Already in the 3rd minute the Africans were dangerous with Idrissa Gueye, shortly after with the forward from Salerno Dia and then, again within 15', with the very active Ndiaye.
The impetus and organization of Cisse's team helped to suffocate the already scarce spirit of initiative of the opponents, who in the few offensive episodes found themselves in front of the wall called Koulibaly.
The prize for the effort came for Senegal when time ran out: Sarr entered the area and was brought down by Hincapié, then from the penalty spot he killed Galindez with a very angled shot.
The changes made in the interval - Gruezo and Franco out and Cifuentes and Sarmiento in - and the need to recover the result made Ecuador more aggressive,
so much so as to at least prove the first conclusions towards Mendy.
Alfaro then also removed the center forward Estrada to insert the more manoeuvrable Reasco.
Shortly after, the equalizer arrived, with Caicedo stationed at the far post ready to divert the ball into the net by Torres who splashed into the area.
The joy of the South Americans lasted only 2', because the leader Koulibaly found the right coordination to beat Galindez after a rebound from Valencia.
The network gave gas back to Senegal, which raised its center of gravity and regained control of the game until the final siege by the South Americans, which however produced little or nothing and made elimination inevitable.
The national team that risked not being in Qatar due to the disputed case of Byron Castillo, will thus leave Qatar not without the regret of having missed an opportunity.
Senegal already this evening will know their opponent in the next round, that is the winner of Group B.
