The FIFA World Cup in Qatar has had nine games with goalless first halves, four of which came on Thursday.
That there would be another such between the Netherlands and Ecuador was not going to allow a certain 23-year-old.
It didn't take more than five minutes before Cody Gakpo scored 1-0 with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.
The PSV Eindhoven striker also scored the redemptive lead in the Netherlands' opener.
It looked like there would be another goal in the game just before the half-time break when Ecuador got a ball into the goal through Pervis Estupinan.
However, the assistant referee waved off the goal as a teammate was in an offside position and disturbed the goalkeeper Andries Noppert.
Instead, it was Ecuador's only goalscorer in the World Cup Enner Valencia who appeared on a rebound at the start of the second half to make it 1–1.
When the match then went towards 90 minutes played, Ecuador's hero from the opener was injured.
With the help of a stretcher, he was carried out injured - and quickly had his right knee wrapped and cooled.
- It is the same knee that he had pain in after the match against Qatar.
If he is out in the important decisive match against Senegal, it will be tough, says Jonas Eriksson.
After the cross, both teams now stand on four points, one ahead of Senegal.
With the result, Qatar is out of the WC.
- The Netherlands is disappointing, but Enner Valencia and his Eduador impress, says Johannesson.