Gakpo, PSV Eindhoven’s lanky striker who has been strongly connected with his move to Manchester United, put the Netherlands ahead with a very good sixth-minute goal at Khalifa International Stadium.
However, with significant and vocal help, Ecuador defended so fiercely that the Dutch were bewildered and deserved the equaliser when it came through Enner Valencia 4 minutes after half-time.
It is already the Ecuadorian captain’s 3rd goal in a World Cup after his double in his country’s first victory against Qatar.
And one result of this result is that the host country, already twice, is the first team to be eliminated from its own World Cup.
On the other hand, 3 times defeated finalists, the Netherlands is not qualified for the next round, with a separation point between Ecuador and Senegal, who beat Qatar 3-1 before.
Ecuador and Senegal will meet in the final round of Group A matches next Tuesday, while Louis van Gaal’s Dutch side will face the hosts knowing that a draw will secure their place in the knockout stages.
Much of the discussion before this adjustment focused on Memphis Depay, with the Barcelona striker impressing as a replacement at the time in the 2-0 win over Senegal in his first game in two months after a thigh injury.
While here he started again on the bench, it was Gakpo, 23, who returned to play in front of goal.
Scoring the first goal against Senegal, he made an early advance this time, triggering a left-footed shot between a desperate shot from Hernán Galíndez and the left post after Davy Klaassen assisted him.
However, the Netherlands’ only shot on target was remarkable, as they were chased away by Ecuador for most of the rest of the match.
Dutch giant goalkeeper Andries Noppert had to reach his right to save a shot from Valencia, who had doubted his form before the game.
Ecuador then thought they had equalised in stoppage time in the first half when Pervis Estupinan deflected a shot by Angelo Preciado into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside opposite Jackson Porozo.
Depay then replaced Steven Bergwijn early in the day, but Ecuador tied temporarily.
They are stupendous at the back as the shot from the back of Brighton and Hove Albion treasured through Noppert, but Valencia followed to convert the loose ball.
They may have even won it, Gonzalo Plata shooting from the crossbar just before the hour mark.
An encouraging night for Ecuador was marred by the sight of Valencia coming out on a stretcher and then sitting with ice around his right knee, and they hope their most sensible goalscorer of all time can do it quickly.
They will want him for a nervous clash with Senegal with a position at the back of 16 on the line, a level they have only reached once before, when they were beaten 1-0 to England in 2006.