Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

[nigel-harps1954]

Group N:

1. Brady
2. Reid
3. Daly
4. Keane
5. Kinsella

[nigel-harps1954]

Group O:

1. Walters
2. Holland
3. Sheridan
4. McAteer
5. Keane

[elatedscum]

1. Reid - was a relatively young un in the stadium for this. Did Andy Reid also score a free kick in old Landsdowne?
2. Keane - this is the goal I thought I was initially voting for in place of McAteer
3. Brady - a goal against England is always worth a little more
4. Kinsella
5. Daly

[geysir]

The problem I have is putting a value on a goal, when the outstanding highlight is the excellent build up play.

[SkStu]

Group O

Keane
Sheridan
Holland
Walters
McAteer

[pineapple stu]

Time for the last group so. Andy Reid has taken Group N at a canter, and Robbie Keane has just pipped Liam Brady to the other spot in the last 32.

Group O is another tight one, with everyone giving a different first-preference so far. It'll remain open until the morning, and in the meantime Group P is the dregs of what's left -

1) Denis Irwin H v Belgium, 1997
2) Matt Holland N v Cameroon, 2002
3) Seán St Ledger H v Italy, 2009
4) Steve Staunton H v Northern Ireland, 1993
5) Robbie Keane H v Scotland, 2011

Videos, as ever, coming right up...

[pineapple stu]

1) Denis Irwin H v Belgium, 1997
Another of our masterful free-kick takers of old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=4m7KHhmv_l4

[pineapple stu]

2) Matt Holland N v Cameroon, 2002
I'm not sure if Holland ever scored any goals other than long-rangers for us tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9pYT3KCYOc

[pineapple stu]

3) Seán St Ledger H v Italy, 2009
A header from a cross - but the diving header makes this one stand out from the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7PYqDdYI8

[pineapple stu]

4) Steve Staunton H v Northern Ireland, 1993
This was a bit scrappy tbh - but I couldn't find the game v Portugal the previous year where he did the exact same thing, so you can vote for this goal but a little bit better if you want! Time is 3:00; time-stamped link is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ2qpdhI6BQ&t=3m0s).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ2qpdhI6BQ&t=3m0s

[pineapple stu]

5) Robbie Keane H v Scotland, 2011
"Silken skills from Paul McShane" is not a phrase you hear every day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qktgGfMIWxY

[elatedscum]

Group O:

1. Walters
2. Sheridan
3. Holland
4. Keane
5. McAteer

Group P:

1. Irwin
2. Staunton
3. Holland
4. Keane
5. St Ledger

[SkStu]

Group P

Holland
Irwin
St Ledger
Staunton
Keane

[NeverFeltBetter]

Holland
Irwin
Keane
St Ledger
Staunton (it's a fluke!)

[Eirambler]

Group O

1) Jon Walters H v Uruguay, 2017
2) Jason McAteer H v Macedonia, 1996
3) Matt Holland H v Romania, 2004
4) John Sheridan A v Northern Ireland, 1994
5) Robbie Keane A v France, 2009

[Eirambler]

Group P

1) Matt Holland N v Cameroon, 2002
2) Denis Irwin H v Belgium, 1997
3) Robbie Keane H v Scotland, 2011
4) Seán St Ledger H v Italy, 2009
5) Steve Staunton H v Northern Ireland, 1993

[pineapple stu]

Staunton (it's a fluke!)
Ha! I think you're right actually (or at very least, it's really bad keeping), which is why it annoyed me I couldn't find the Portugal game, which I think was a better goal direct from a corner. Although if it ever does come to light, it'll probably be just as scrappy...

[geysir]

Group O I'll almost go with with what Stu overty suggested we vote.

1) Robbie Keane A v France, 2009
2) Jason McAteer H v Macedonia, 1996
3) John Sheridan A v Northern Ireland, 1994
4. Jon Walters H v Uruguay, 2017
5) Matt Holland H v Romania, 2004

[Fixer82]

Group O

1) Robbie Keane
2) Jon Walters
3) John Sheridan
4) Jason McAteer
5) Matt Holland

Group P
1) Matt Holland
2) Denis Irwin
3) Robbie Keane
4) Steve Staunton
5) Sean St. Ledger

[Fixer82]

Ha! I think you're right actually (or at very least, it's really bad keeping), which is why it annoyed me I couldn't find the Portugal game, which I think was a better goal direct from a corner. Although if it ever does come to light, it'll probably be just as scrappy...

Didn't McPhail do the same thing in a US Nike Cup game V South Africa, in around 2000?

[geysir]

Ha! I think you're right actually (or at very least, it's really bad keeping), which is why it annoyed me I couldn't find the Portugal game, which I think was a better goal direct from a corner. Although if it ever does come to light, it'll probably be just as scrappy...

There is a similar cross from Stan after receiving the ball from the short corner v Denmark 1993, flicked on by Quinn. Stan tried these type of shots often enough, not a fluke.

[pineapple stu]

Didn't McPhail do the same thing in a US Nike Cup game V South Africa, in around 2000?
You could be right actually. Again, I can't find it on YouTube unfortunately.

Anyways, time up on Group O. Jon Walters takes the honours in a really competitive group with 31 points. Robbie Keane v France follows him into the last 32 on 25 points, just a single point ahead of Matt Holland, who paid the price for two fifth-place finishes in the last two votes.

Matt Holland and Denis Irwin are clear in the lead in Group P, but still time for that to change. I'll leave it open until this evening.

Then tomorrow (or maybe Monday), I'll get the knock-outs underway. Head-to-head rounds until we get to a grand final. I think to start with, I'll put up two matches in the morning and two in the afternoon and see how we go.

I'll also post up a list of who's left, split between group winners and group runners-up (as the last 32 is seeded accordingly). I mentioned at the start that I had roughly seeded the groups, and the only "top" seed to be dumped out so far is Damien Duff v Canada. James McClean v Wales is the only "fifth seed" to make it through.

[pineapple stu]

OK - so no further votes in Group P, and that completes the group stages. Matt Holland takes the group, just ahead of Denis Irwin, and the rest were nowhere really.

As the weekends seem to be a bit quieter here, I'll post the last 32 tomorrow, and then I'll start on Monday with the first two knock-out ties - two group winners going up against two group runners-up, and you can only vote for one of them.

[DeLorean]

Ha! I think you're right actually (or at very least, it's really bad keeping), which is why it annoyed me I couldn't find the Portugal game, which I think was a better goal direct from a corner. Although if it ever does come to light, it'll probably be just as scrappy...

I think you're right, a much higher trajectory on the Portugal one so maybe more deliberate, although he's probably just putting it into a testing area for the goalkeeper with a nice whip. The NI one was pretty fluky I think, you don't expect it to evade everybody at that height.

[pineapple stu]

Maybe geysir's point is valid too in that he was maybe more fortunate than fluky - fortunate because he was aiming top drop it right onto the goalkeeper and (by extension) into the net, and just happened to achieve it this time when it probably should have been cleared. But it wasn't fluky if he was trying for it?

Anyways, we have our last 32. The group winners are -

Kevin Doyle v Slovakia
Aiden McGeady v Georgia
Ronnie Whelan v USSR
Robbie Keane v Israel
Ray Houghton v Italy
Wes Hoolahan v Sweden
Paul McGrath v Luxembourg
Alan McLoughlin v Northern Ireland
Jason McAteer v Holland (H)
Jason McAteer v Holland (A)
Darron Gibson v Wales
Shane Long v Germany
Matt Holland v Portugal
Andy Reid v Cyprus
Jon Walters v Uruguay
Matt Holland v Cameroon

And they'll be paired against one of the group runners-up, which are -

Glenn Whelan v Italy
Robbie Keane v Holland (2004)
James McClean v Wales
Liam Brady v France
Mark Kennedy v Yugoslavia
Steve Staunton v Malta
Liam Brady v Brazil
Kevin Doyle v Andorra
Matt Holland v Estonia
Liam Lawrence v South Africa
Ian Harte v Israel
Ashley Grimes v Spain
Robbie Keane v Yugoslavia
Robbie Keane v Holland (2000)
Robbie Keane v France
Denis Irwin v Belgium

Goals from the same group are kept apart in the last and the last 16.

First two knock-outs tomorrow about 9ish.

[pineapple stu]

Time to get the knock-outs underway so. Over the next four days, the last 32 will get whittled down to the last 16. The decisions don't get any easier from here!

The first knock-out tie sees two midfielders belting one in from the edge of the box. It's Paul McGrath (v Luxembourg) up against Glenn Whelan (v Italy). Which one goes through?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1OENoiFtU&t=0m29s

(Time is 0:29; time-stamped link is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1OENoiFtU&t=0m29s))

[pineapple stu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWV5omYkyQ

[pineapple stu]

And the second tie then sees the first of our finals goals up against the first of our free-kick nominations. It's Wessi (v Sweden) up against Liam Lawrence (v South Africa). Again - only one can go through.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzbEPjqYGis&t=3m41s
Time is 3:41; time-stamped link is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzbEPjqYGis&t=3m41s).

[pineapple stu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQwpZl--Zs&t=0m30s
Time is 0:30; time-stamped link is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQwpZl--Zs&t=0m30s).

[pineapple stu]

So will do the same as for the groups - I'll leave these up for 24 hours, and will put up the second batch of knock-outs this evening. We'll then have two sets of knock-out ties open for the rest of the week.

[tetsujin1979]

Whelan and Hoolahan

[NeverFeltBetter]

Whelan
Hoolohan

[osarusan]

Whelan and Lawrence

[Eirambler]

Whelan and Wes.

[passinginterest]

Glenn Whelan and Wessi for me

[geysir]

Whelan and Hoolahan

[Real ale Madrid]

Whelan and Hoolahan

[DeLorean]

Whelan/Hoolahan also.

[DeLorean]

Maybe geysir's point is valid too in that he was maybe more fortunate than fluky - fortunate because he was aiming top drop it right onto the goalkeeper and (by extension) into the net, and just happened to achieve it this time when it probably should have been cleared. But it wasn't fluky if he was trying for it?

I'd agree on the Portugal one. The NI one was a fluke for me, it's not the type of corner that should have caused so much difficulty for the defence/goalkeeper.

[SkStu]

Whelan/Wessi

[pineapple stu]

Not much competition here it seems! Currently 9-0 and 8-1 in favour of Whelan and Hoolahan respectively.

Those two ties are still open until the morning, but let's see if the next set of knock-out ties are any closer. First up, two qualification-securing goals from J Mc - Jason McAteer v Holland, 2001 against James McClean v Wales, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ_l0d2r4Mo

[pineapple stu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHlk4SKzRA

[pineapple stu]

And in the second tie of the evening, it's another qualification-securing goal up against a player who never made it to a major finals... It's Alan McLoughlin v Northern Ireland, 1993 against Liam Brady v France, 1977


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp9Bt18Rvv4&t=1m30s
Time is 1:30; time-stamped link is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp9Bt18Rvv4&t=1m30s).

[pineapple stu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShVqGF0Ymi8

[geysir]

I'd agree on the Portugal one. The NI one was a fluke for me, it's not the type of corner that should have caused so much difficulty for the defence/goalkeeper.
It was poor defending by NI, but not a fluke if Staunton meant it, there was space in front of Quinn and Staunton aimed for that spot.
Staunton was a top class footballer and place kicks were one of his specialties.
He did these type of corner kicks, that was his thing when at Villa where he scored a few of them. The cross can go in directly or just need a flick. Here's a high profile close shave in the 1994 League Cup Final v Man U (https://youtu.be/1e8kGL25oU0?t=1829) where he tried 2 in a row, the first was met by nemesis Roy Keane, the second corner kick was a beauty. It's just that EPL defences for the most part were wise to it.

For us he scored two and another as an assist from a short corner - flicked on by Quinn.

[DeLorean]

I'm not questioning his dead ball ability. The second corner there is similar to how I remember the Portugal goal, a really difficult ball to deal with. The first is more like the goal against NI, which any half organised defence should clear, as Keane did comfortably. Whether that can technically be construed as good fortune or not, I suppose it doesn't really matter, but I'd give him more credit for his delivery that resulted in the goal against Portugal.

[SkStu]

McAteer/McLoughlin

[Eirambler]

McAteer and McLoughlin

[jbyrne]

whelan
hoolahan

mcateer
brady

[osarusan]

McAteer, McLoughlin