Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2020, 7:51 AM

And Matty Holland stays on stage for the next pairing - Matt Holland A v Portugal, 2000 and Darron Gibson H v Wales, 2011.

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2020, 7:51 AM

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2020, 7:53 AM

And just to confirm, still taking votes on -

Glenn Whelan H v Italy, 2009 v Wes Hoolahan N v Sweden, 2016 (Currently 6-6)
Jason McAteer H v Holland, 2001 v Alan McLoughlin A v Northern Ireland, 1993 (currently 5-7)

Reasons for your votes are encouraged! They just make it more interesting.

**jbyrne** · 14/07/2020, 7:59 AM

g whelan / mcateer
r whelan / holland (portugal)

**osarusan** · 14/07/2020, 8:11 AM

Whelan over Holland. Ok he shinned it, but acrobatic volleys into the top corner against a top quality keeper have to be rewarded.

Holland over Gibson. Tough one, but I'll go for a perfect strike with the outside of the boot rather than the inside of it.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 14/07/2020, 8:18 AM

Whelan - it has to be. It's too spectacular of a strike to ignore, even if Holland's goal should be appreciated just for the sheer pressure Ireland were under at the time.
Gibson - Similar goals, but I just find this one a bit more impressive, the way it just flies into the top corner. Makes me wonder about the scorer again: a real what might have been of a player, if he had been able to properly stake a place at Man Utd under Alex Ferguson.

**DeLorean** · 14/07/2020, 8:21 AM

Whelan over Holland (v Cameroon). No explanation needed really, just a far superior goal.
Holland (v Portugal) over Gibson. Similar enough standard of goal, but the importance of Holland's makes it the clear winner. It was so out of the blue as well when we appeared to be slumping to an inevitable defeat.

**Eirambler** · 14/07/2020, 8:24 AM

Ronnie Whelan over Matt Holland. Holland's was a tidy finish but Whelan's was different class.

Matt Holland over Darron Gibson. Very little between these two, both very similar goals so the greater importance of Holland's in a qualifier swings it for me.

**Kingdom** · 14/07/2020, 9:13 AM

Ronnie Whelan & Matt Holland

**SkStu** · 14/07/2020, 3:42 PM

Double Dutch.

Holland and Holland

**Fixer82** · 14/07/2020, 3:54 PM

Holland
Holland

**pineapple stu** · 14/07/2020, 4:28 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Double Dutch.

Holland and Holland

Did you vote that way just so you could say "Double Dutch"?

Very very tight in the opening two games - 7-6 in each. Not going to say who's leading in case it swings any more votes!

Not so tight in the other two, though Ronnie Whelan v USSR has had somebody vote against it for the first time in the competition.

Next two matches tomorrow morning, as well as the result of the first two matches.

**SkStu** · 14/07/2020, 4:49 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Did you vote that way just so you could say "Double Dutch"?

I did - and i would like to thank you for making it possible

(i really didn't - Whelans was a shinner, Hollands was a clean, beauty of a strike - - both high profile games in their own right - - build up was a bit caveman for both so the cleanliness of the strike is what swung it for me)

As an aside, id be disappointed if Hoolohan's goal didnt make it at the expense of Whelan's. Both good goals, of course, but the build up and context of Wes' goal is so much better (in my opinion!).

**geysir** · 14/07/2020, 8:56 PM

Ronnie Whelan one of those epic goals, perfect timing and technique, both qualities which stand a man to the good in other (more/less?) important spheres of life.
Matt Holland not only a brilliant strike from the newcomer, but broke the will of a star studded Portugal team and crowned a very solid morale boosting away performance by Ireiand. And Holland scored quite a few goals of that standard, no fluke.

**Stuttgart88** · 15/07/2020, 7:21 AM

Holland & Holland.

**pineapple stu** · 15/07/2020, 7:42 AM

Controversial vote there from the poster named after Euro 88!

Anyways, we have our first two quarter-finalists, both triumphing on 7-6 scorelines. Glenn Whelan H v Italy, 2009 and Alan McLoughlin v Northern Ireland, 1993 are both through. It's a blankety-blank chequebook and pen for Wes Hoolahan N v Sweden, 2016 and Jason McAteer H v Holland, 2001

The unintelligble language/clothing retailer ties of Holland & Holland are both still open; Matty is up against Ronnie Whelan and Darron Gibson. These aren't as close, but votes still taken.

The next two pairs are -

Andy Reid H v Cyprus 2005 v Aiden McGeady A v Georgia, 2014

Time is 0:24; time-stamped link is here.

**pineapple stu** · 15/07/2020, 7:42 AM

Similar finishes - does McGeady's creation of space trump Reid's distance?

**pineapple stu** · 15/07/2020, 7:43 AM

And today's other tie is Kevin Doyle A v Slovakia, 2007 up against the last set-piece standing, Ian Harte H v Israel, 2005.

**pineapple stu** · 15/07/2020, 7:44 AM

**pineapple stu** · 15/07/2020, 7:45 AM

So as before, reasons encouraged! The last of the last 16 ties will be up tomorrow, and then into the quarter-finals on Monday.

And just to confirm - still taking votes on Matt Holland N v Cameroon, 2002 v Ronnie Whelan N v USSR, 1988 and Matt Holland A v Portugal 2000 v Darron Gibson H v Wales, 2011.