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View Poll Results: What is the best goal we've scored in a major finals?

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  • Euro 88 – R. Whelan v. USSR

    9 52.94%
  • WC 90 – K. Sheedy v England

    0 0%
  • WC 94 – R. Houghton v Italy

    2 11.76%
  • WC 02 – M. Holland v Cameroon

    0 0%
  • WC 02 – R. Keane v Saudi

    0 0%
  • WC 02 – G. Breen v Saudi

    0 0%
  • Euro 16 – W. Hoolohan v Sweden

    4 23.53%
  • Euro 16 – R. Brady v Italy

    2 11.76%
  • Other(Please Specify Below)

    0 0%
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Thread: POLL: What is the best goal we've scored in a major finals?

  1. #1
    Capped Player SkStu's Avatar
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    POLL: What is the best goal we've scored in a major finals?

    Mods - can we add a poll to this?

    Long time, no post – hope youre all doing well. Thought I would throw this up for a bit of fun…don’t recall seeing a similar poll?

    What is the best goal that Ireland has scored at a major finals?

    Criteria I used liberally...
    - Build up
    - Nice strike
    - Pressure

    I have filtered out the ones that I thought were not as good or penalties. I have come up with a list of 8! Feel free to campaign for another one.

    Euro 88 – R. Whelan v. USSR


    WC 90 – K. Sheedy v England


    WC 94 – R. Houghton v Italy


    WC 02 – M. Holland v Cameroon


    WC 02 – R. Keane v Saudi


    WC 02 – G. Breen v Saudi


    Euro 16 – W. Hoolohan v Sweden


    Euro 16 – R. Brady v Italy


    Other
    - please say which one

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  3. #2
    Seasoned Pro Fixer82's Avatar
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    Ronnie Whelans V USSR
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    Seasoned Pro backstothewall's Avatar
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    Ronnie Whelan. We could play for another 100 years and never see a goal as good as that in a finals.
    Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.

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    It's a no brainer, Ronnie by a country mile.
    If Ronnie had done that in the final and Van Basten done his in the group stages, Ronnie would have shaded the immortality kudos.

  6. #5
    International Prospect CraftyToePoke's Avatar
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    Its Ronnie, every time, always, until you look at the criteria applied by Stu here, build up was a hacking grunter of a throw, there was no pressure we'd just beaten England and were playing USSR we could have lost 5-0 and they'd still have come home heroes and as for nice strike, well he shinned it didn't he ? It was a fluke, albeit a gorgeous one.

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    The shinning was disguise to fool the goalkeeper.

  8. #7
    Coach tetsujin1979's Avatar
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    Poll

    Quote Originally Posted by SkStu View Post
    Mods - can we add a poll to this?
    done, poll added
    Last edited by tetsujin1979; 16/06/2020 at 9:50 AM.
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  10. #8
    Capped Player DeLorean's Avatar
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    Probably has to be Whelan but the shin aspect does take away from it quite a bit. Hoolahan's is technically brilliant. Both goals on their weaker sides too. The build up better for Hoolohan's but I'll give Whelan the nod, partly due to peer pressure. Best goal for build up alone would have to be Brady's.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DeLorean View Post
    Probably has to be Whelan but the shin aspect does take away from it quite a bit. Hoolahan's is technically brilliant. Both goals on their weaker sides too. The build up better for Hoolohan's but I'll give Whelan the nod, partly due to peer pressure. Best goal for build up alone would have to be Brady's.
    As Ray said in the RTE memory show, it's irrelevant that Ronnie struck it with his shin, the unworldly skill was in the techique he used to make perfect contact with the ball in order to hit the top corner of the goal.

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    Seasoned Pro Fixer82's Avatar
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    I watched Ireland V Sweden in Euro 2016 highlights the other day and thought, if Hendrick's effort in first half had hit underside of the bar and gone in instead of bouncing straight back off the bar, that would by far be our best ever goal in a major tournament.
    Then I remembered Ronnie's effort. Ridiculous goal. Ridiculous throw-in, ridiculous goal. incredible!
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  13. #11
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    100% Whelan. Despite the long throw and the shin.

    To be honest I'm struggling to think of a better Ireland goal in any game, friendly or qualifier. That he did it at a tournament finals made it even more incredible.
    Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone

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  15. #12
    Seasoned Pro jbyrne's Avatar
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    whelan for me also. honourable mention to matt hollands goal against cameroon as my favourite. the first half we were so poor and i thought it was going to be a very long 3 weeks in Japan / Korea for me. that goal effectively set up the rest of our trip. was right behind the goal he scored into and it was one of the sweetest cleanest strikes i had seen

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  17. #13
    Biased against YOUR club pineapple stu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eirambler View Post
    100% Whelan. Despite the long throw and the shin.

    To be honest I'm struggling to think of a better Ireland goal in any game, friendly or qualifier. That he did it at a tournament finals made it even more incredible.
    I suppose it depends what your criteria are.

    Jason McAteer's goal in Holland in 2000 was superb - two backheels in the build-up was taking the mick, and then the finish from outside the area into the bottom corner too.

    Jack Charlton was on some show - maybe it was The Charlton Years - and was asked about his favourite goal, and he said his favourite goals were the ones that came out of nowhere, like Whelan's. So while yeah, it was just a long throw and the Dutch goal had some of the best build-up play we've probably ever put together - but which one makes for the better goal?

    I'd still vote Whelan, of course. I can't think of too many comparable goals to be honest, by anyone?

  18. #14
    Capped Player DeLorean's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eirambler View Post
    100% Whelan. Despite the long throw and the shin.

    To be honest I'm struggling to think of a better Ireland goal in any game, friendly or qualifier. That he did it at a tournament finals made it even more incredible.
    McGeady's winner in Georgia is well up there...


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  20. #15
    Capped Player SkStu's Avatar
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    I voted for Robbie Brady's goal against the Italians. Carried the ball out from the back through midfield on the counter attack, 4 passes then goal. The 4th of which was a beautiful cross. Dying minutes. Plenty at stake.

    I would also rank Holland's strike as being technically just good as Whelans. In fact, he arguably executed better - a first time strike across his body that turned in at the far post... far better than Whelans shinner I remember how stunned i was by Whelans goal though as a 10/11 year old.

    Anyway, those would be my top 3. All different, all excellent.

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  22. #16
    Capped Player nigel-harps1954's Avatar
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    Anything to be said for Robbie Keane against the Germans in 02?
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    Seasoned Pro Fixer82's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954 View Post
    Anything to be said for Robbie Keane against the Germans in 02?
    Surprised that and Houghton V England didn't even make the cut
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  25. #18
    Seasoned Pro Fixer82's Avatar
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    For me, this is probably the best goal we've scored in a qualifier.
    Honourable mentions for Glenn Whelan V Italy. And Houghton's header V Belgium.

    Last edited by Fixer82; 17/06/2020 at 2:25 PM.
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  27. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954 View Post
    Anything to be said for Robbie Keane against the Germans in 02?

    From them: Scheiße.

    From us: I'll say it to take the sting out of it. Sure everybody knows Robbie only scored against the minnows.

    Anyway, had to take my time with these goals…. I'd a bias but wanted to be fair to all eight.

    Whelan v USSR: Beauty and the beast – a glorious arcing volley but the delivery… route one. For a change, sideways. Still, the first Ireland goal that struck me as a thing of wonder.

    Sheedy v England: Scrappy build-up, but that left foot. Oof!

    Houghton v Italy: Virtually a one-man show. The wait – bounce, bounce, bounce – then the turn, and on a foot we thought was made for standing on only that strike. For me technically as good as Whelan, but where that was instinctive this was pure focus.

    Holland v Cameroon: Good finish from a player I always liked. Harte’s crossing was a terror for defences. But Holland had so much space and time to score…

    Keane v Saudi: Great technique, but if there was a keeper there instead of a roll of lino with gloves on Robbie would be -1 on his tally.

    Breen v Saudi: The angle’s not great, so maybe it was nifty footwork rather than twist and shout, but a defence gone AWOL has to count against its greatness.

    Hoolahan v Sweden: Finally! Some build-up play and a sweet finish. Off his weaker foot too.

    Brady v Italy: Lovely build-up play, all on the deck till the final cross. That rarest of things – an Italian defence carved open and a bullet header. What is it with players on this list scoring with unexpected parts?

    Soooo, with nostalgia heavy in mind, and bias confirmed:
    1 - Whelan
    2 - Houghton
    4 – Houlihan, Brady
    Last edited by Eminence Grise; 16/06/2020 at 11:40 PM.
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  28. #20
    Capped Player SkStu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954 View Post
    Anything to be said for Robbie Keane against the Germans in 02?
    Make your case Nigel!

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