Taking advantage of a mistake by the Ecuadorian defense, PSV's Cody Jakpo, 23, fired a shot from outside the penalty area into the top left corner in the sixth minute to give the Netherlands a 1-0 lead. Valencia came close to scoring at the other end from a tight angle, but their attempts were thwarted by a great save by Andres Nobert in the 32nd minute.
Pervis Estupinan scored a goal for Ecuador in extra time, but the goal was ruled out after a review by the video assistant referee.Early in the second half, Valencia gave his team a 1-1 lead with a second goal in the 49th minute. Thus, he became the top scorer of the World Cup in Qatar, with three goals so far. The 33-year-old has scored five goals in six World Cup matches he has attended.
The Netherlands will meet host country Qatar next Tuesday, while Ecuador will meet Senegal in the final.
