Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

**osarusan** · 23/07/2020, 8:06 AM

McAteer. Team goal beats a punt from the keeper.

**seanfhear** · 23/07/2020, 8:10 AM

McAteer even though Shane Long’s goal was a cracker.

Some Lovely touches in the build up to McAteers Goal. Football is Lovely when the Poetry comes Together !

**Eirambler** · 23/07/2020, 8:45 AM

McAteer - easy one. Don't think Long's goal should be anywhere near the last 8 to be honest, just a long punt and a decent shot.

**tetsujin1979** · 23/07/2020, 9:16 AM

McAteer. He loves scoring against the Dutch.

**EAFC_rdfl** · 23/07/2020, 9:22 AM

McAteer, and that should leave a perfect semi final lineup of lefties! Such a deft flick from big Niall

**Stuttgart88** · 23/07/2020, 10:33 AM

McAteer > Long, just because it was the better goal.

**DeLorean** · 23/07/2020, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl

McAteer, and that should leave a perfect semi final lineup of lefties! Such a deft flick from big Niall

And none of the players are actually left footed?

**pineapple stu** · 23/07/2020, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

McAteer - easy one. Don't think Long's goal should be anywhere near the last 8 to be honest, just a long punt and a decent shot.

Funny - I think it should have gone out in the last 32 alright (much and all as I've said here I love the goal for its simplicity). Had it done so, this quarter-final would probably have been the two goals from that 2-2 Holland game paired against each other. That would have been a tough choice!

**passinginterest** · 23/07/2020, 11:41 AM

McAteer, one of my absolute favourites. Great build up and a great strike. Central mid carrying the ball forward, playing it off to an advancing full back, a delicate scoopy pass into a forward, who flicks it to his strike partner and it's layed on perfectly for the winger cutting in. It's a lovely example of effective possession and attacking play to open up space for a chance. The two front players staying close and pulling to the one side is what opens the big space in the middle of the defence to create the shooting opportunity. If Keane hadn't been body checked, there was probably going to be an alternative option to slide a through ball into his path behind the defence.

**geysir** · 23/07/2020, 11:56 AM

Shane Long for me, hot on the heels after whupping Robbie's goal from the same game in an earlier round.
Shane held his nerve, exercised a Uri Geller like mind control over the flight of the ball, one touch then hit the perfect shot past Neuer.
Favoured more for that he avoided about 10 pitfalls to land into ignomy

**SkStu** · 23/07/2020, 5:59 PM

McAteer - we carved them apart better than a turkey at Christmas.

**jbyrne** · 23/07/2020, 8:13 PM

mcateer, although think the keane goal in the same game is a better team goal

**pineapple stu** · 24/07/2020, 8:16 AM

No contest there - 11-1 for McAteer, and we have our last four.

Ronnie Whelan N v USSR 1988
Alan McLoughlin A v Northern Ireland 1993
Jason McAteer A v Holland 2000
Aiden McGeady A v Georgia 2014

Not only four lefties, but not a single home goal left either.

The semis will start on Monday, with the final next Thursday. In the meantime, the question is - are the last four correct? I think McLoughlin v the North is the only real outlier; I think I'd have voted against it in each of the knock-outs tbh.

**Fixer82** · 24/07/2020, 8:46 AM

McLoughlin lucky to be there. I think if you asked most Irish fans to name their top 5 Irish goals, he wouldn�t be near there.
Sheedy and Houghton would feature heavily.

**Eirambler** · 24/07/2020, 10:41 AM

Four goals from four different decades as well, so I guess we now know what our best goal in each decade was...although I would personally still probably go for Kennedy v Yugoslavia as our best goal of the 1990s.

**Fixer82** · 24/07/2020, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Four goals from four different decades as well, so I guess we now know what our best goal in each decade was...although I would personally still probably go for Kennedy v Yugoslavia as our best goal of the 1990s.

Agree!

**pineapple stu** · 27/07/2020, 9:10 AM

OK - an hour or so later than planned, but time to start the business end of things. Semis today and tomorrow, 3rd/4th place play-off on Weds, and the final on Thurs. Same rules as before.

First up, the outsider v the favourite. Any chance of an of-the-era Ireland-like upset? The first goal is Alan McLoughlin A v Northern Ireland, 1993

Record to date -
Group - Winner Group H ahead of Kevin Doyle H v Andorra 2010, Robbie Keane H v Denmark, 2002, James McClean H v Uruguay, 2017, Roy Keane H v Hungary, 1993 and Gary Waddock H v Holland, 1983
Last 32 - won 9-4 v Liam Brady H v France, 1977
Last 16 - won 7-6 v Jason McAteer H v Holland, 2001
Last 8 - won 9-4 v Glenn Whelan H v Italy, 2009

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**pineapple stu** · 27/07/2020, 9:11 AM

And also up today, it's Ronnie Whelan N v USSR, 1988

Group - Winner Group C ahead of James McClean A v Wales 2017, Kevin Sheedy N v England 1990, Keith Andrews A v Italy 2011, Robbie Keane N v Saudi Arabia 2002, and Kevin O'Callaghan H v Malta 1983.
Last 32 - won 12-0 v Kevin Doyle H v Andorra 2010
Last 16 - won 9-2 v Matt Holland N v Cameroon 2002
Last 8 - won 9-2 v Matt Holland A v Portugal 2000

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