Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

Holland: Filthy strike. Couldn't be any sweeter if you dipped it in a pint of nutella.

Whelan: Shinner.

Holland it is.

Another 9-2 win in the second quarter-final so - this time to Ronnie Whelan N v USSR 1988.

The third quarter should be a lot tighter going on previous comments though - so vote carefully!

In the red corner, we have Aiden McGeady A v Georgia 2014

Group - winner Group B ahead of Robbie Keane A v Holland 2004, Steve Staunton H v USSR 1990, Ray Houghton N v England 1988, Andy Townsend H v Northern Ireland 1993, and Robbie Keane N v Nigeria 2009
Last 32 - won 11-0 v Matt Holland A v Estonia 2001
Last 16 - won 11-0 v Andy Reid H v Cyprus 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHjf0nWN0_0

And in the blue corner, it's Kevin Doyle A v Slovakia 2007. Only one can go through...

Group - Winner Group A ahead of Glenn Whelan H v Italy 2009, Liam Miller H v Sweden 2006, Robbie Brady A v Bosnia 2015, John O'Shea A v Germany 2014, and Niall Quinn A v Wales 1991
Last 32 - won 9-2 v Robbie Keane A v Holland, 2004
Last 16 - won 11-0 v Ian Harte H v Israel, 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vVu9Q2EgHc

McGeady.


Never seen an Irish player score a goal like it. Incredible skill

Now that's a very tough one to call. A little more finesse from McGeady and raw power from Doyle. I'm torn, my yellow belly loyalties might be clouding things too. I think I have to go McGeady, the turn just nicks it with the addition of the precision finish.

McGeady, don't think any other player in the squad could have scored that goal.

I'll go with Doyle, I just find it a bit more impressive. Wrong foot, not a huge pullback, but that ball just powers into the net. I can't even fault the keeper it goes so fast past him. McGeady's is great all the same, but think Doyle's is a little bit better.

This one could be the final.

McGeady beats Doyle 9-8 on penalties.

McGeady for much the same reason as Tets. The commentators often say "it'll take a moment of genius or a mistake to win this game", but we rarely get the moment of genius, and Ireland very, very rarely get it. :)

But yes, Doyle's deserved at least top four finish.

Really tough one.

I'm going to go for McGeady. My reasoning is that if I tried to do what Doyle did 100 times I reckon I might score the same goal he did once or twice in the 100 goes. But I could be there for a year and I wouldn't be able to do what McGeady did, a really brilliant piece of individual skill.

McGeady - sublime fortune.

Changed: McGeady over Doyle.

Hard to find anything between them, but I'll go for Doyle as it was his weaker foot.

EDIT: Changed my mind. McGeady it is, just can't ignore the perfect touches that preceded the strike itself.

mcgeady

McGeady - that touch is softer than a peck on your granny's cheek.

Doyle for me.

The McGeady goal was special, something we all wanted to see more from a player who probably never really scaled the heights he should have, but Doyles was just incredible off his weaker left foot, from that distance, with that power, out of absolutely nothing, it's world class in every sense of the word.

Doyle for Me; Cracker.

No good guys - ends 9-3 to McGeady. That was way more decisive than I thought it would be, albeit that it seems to be a consensus that McGeady's was just better rather than an easy/clear decision.

So one last quarter-final remains. A clash of styles - a well-worked goal against the ultimate route one effort. The first effort is Shane Long v Germany, 2015

Group - Winner Group L, ahead of Ashley Grimes H v Spain 1982, Shane Long v England 2013, Andy Keogh H v Serbia 2008, and Ronnie Whelan A v Luxembourg 1987
Last 32 - won 10-1 v Robbie Keane A v Holland, 2000
Last 16 - won 7-4 v Ray Houghton N v Italy, 1994

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJup10szLr0

And the final goal left - Jason McAteer A v Holland, 2000. The one that won the World Cup for us.

Group - Winner Group J ahead of Liam Lawrence H v South Africa 2009, Michael Robinson H v Holland 1982, Gary Breen N v Saudi Arabia 2002, and Niall Quinn A v Macedonia 1999
Last 32 - won 7-3 v Mark Kennedy H v Yugoslavia 1999
Last 16 - won 10-1 v Robbie Keane H v Israel 2005

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVV-f9LoSLw&t=2m28s
Time is 2:28; time-stamped link is here.

Breaking my heart with this choice. I just love Long's goal so much: as I said before it's the confidence of it, to the take the ball down, power forward and then get such a sweet strike past the keeper, all against arguably the best team in the world at the time. It was the ultimate "**** you" to the conservative, play-for-a-draw, "what do you expect, we're ****" mediocrity that defined much of the previous years.

But that being said, have to go with McAteer. A double back-heel that tears apart the Dutch, and then a brilliant finish, just can't be denied. Like with Long's, it showcases a confidence in the side that could have seen them go far if they'd been able to avoid certain, later, catastrophes.

McAteer. Easy enough choice even though I voted against it in the last round.