Foot.ie decides - Ireland's best goal!

[nigel-harps1954]

Houghton/McAteer.

The other two were both good goals in their own right, but just two far superior finishes, and the build up for McAteer in particular is sublime.

[DeLorean]

Looks like I'm on my own with Robbie Keane's goal.
I think the build up to McAteer's is being overstated slightly. I mean, it's a loose tackle from de Boer that puts it into McAteer's path, it just so happens to look like a lovely flick from Robbie on some of the angles. But whatever.

[Fixer82]

Looks like I'm on my own with Robbie Keane's goal.
I think the build up to McAteer's is being overstated slightly. I mean, it's a loose tackle from de Boer that puts it into McAteer's path, it just so happens to look like a lovely flick from Robbie on some of the angles. But whatever.

I love that there was a back heel in the build-up to both goals in Amsterdam.

Also, look at the difference in how the two Keanes react to being fouled in the build-up to both McAteer goals V Holland.

In Lansdowne Road RMK got taken out by Jaap Stam and just got on with it. Robbie barely got touched and disengaged from the play holding his face. I think that's one of the reasons Robbie isn't lauded as much as he deserves.

[geysir]

Also that it happened in Amsterdam to the Dutch, from a team who once hoofed and huffed now handing the Dutch the humiliating equivalent of the double nutmeg.

[pineapple stu]

So the last 16 comes to an end - Shane Long H v Germany, 2015 triumphs over Ray Houghton N v Italy, 1994 on a 7-4 scoreline, while it was more convincing in the other tie, where Jason McAteer A v Holland, 2000 hammered Robbie Keane H v Israel, 2005 by a score of 10-1.

So of the last 16, the goals in bold have progressed

Ronnie Whelan N v USSR, 1988 (the only finals goals remaining)
Alan McLoughlin A v Northern Ireland, 1993
Ray Houghton N v Italy, 1994
Jason McAteer A v Holland, 2000
Matt Holland A v Portugal, 2000
Jason McAteer H v Holland, 2001
Matt Holland N v Cameroon, 2002
Andy Reid H v Cyprus, 2004
Ian Harte H v Israel, 2005
Robbie Keane H v Israel, 2005
Kevin Doyle A v Slovakia, 2007
Glenn Whelan H v Italy, 2009 (the only group runner-up left; Kevin Doyle v Slovakia topped that group)
Darron Gibson H v Wales, 2011
Aiden McGeady A v Georgia, 2014
Shane Long H v Germany, 2015
Wes Hoolahan N v Sweden, 2016

First quarter-final pairing up on Monday morning!

[Eirambler]

Interesting that there is no Robbie Keane goal in the last 8. A great goalscorer for Ireland more so than a scorer of great goals?

[pineapple stu]

He had more goals than anyone in the last 32, strangely.

I think the Holland 2000 goal deserves to be still in (over Long's goal). And the Israel one was a lively finish which was unlucky to come up against an iconic goal (which Keane was involved in)

I think it shows how few nicely-worked goals we score (or how little they're appreciated!) The Holland header is a perfect example - simple finish, but a lovely move.

[pineapple stu]

A lovely morning to get the last 8 underway so! Just the one tie per day this week. Not sure if adding the extra voting time added much - it felt it slowed the thread down more than anything - so I'll go back to 24 hours for these ties. Result of this one tomorrow morning, and the next tie up at the same time.

First up is Glenn Whelan H v Italy 2009. Progress so far -

Group - Runner-up Group A behind Kevin Doyle A v Slovakia 2007, but ahead of Liam Miller H v Sweden, 2006, John O'Shea A v Germany, 2014, Robbie Brady A v Bosnia, 2015 and Niall Quinn A v Wales, 1991
Last 32 - won 13-0 v Paul McGrath H v Luxembourg, 1987
Last 16 - won 7-6 v Wes Hoolahan N v Sweden, 2016

[pineapple stu]

And he's up against Alan McLoughlin A v Northern Ireland, 1993. Which one will go through to the semis?

Progress so far -

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


Time is 1:30; time-stamped link is here.

[pineapple stu]

As always, reasons encouraged as the voting gets harder!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Still have to go with McLoughlin. The pressure, the atmosphere, and he's able to take the ball down and a hit a sweet volley through a crowd of players. Whelan's goal is impressive, but he has more time and space to take the shot, and I'd say it was a practiced routine.

[jbyrne]

mcloughlin

[passinginterest]

McLoughlin as well. Couldn't be more in the corner, good skill to take it down and a really sweet strike, through a crowd of players and under immense pressure. Whelan's is nice, but it's not the same level of skill (and more to the point should have been knocked out in the last round!).

[DeLorean]

McLoughlin too - getting knocked out in that setting doesn't bear thinking about. And it just so happens to be a really good goal too.

[Stuttgart88]

Alan Mc, excellent in both quality and context

[Fixer82]

Whelan.

Unstoppable shot to beat one of the world's best keepers. Totally unexpected.

[EAFC_rdfl]

McLaughlin, because you can't beat a left footed half volley!

[Eminence Grise]

McLoughlin.

Whelan's was a peach, beautifully struck first time against one of the great keepers. But in the pressure of that Windsor Park environment, McLoughlin's presence of mind to chest it down, watch and wait for it to sit up... that's a rare combination of nerve, self-assurance and skill. (In an Irish jersey anyway!)

[SkStu]

McLoughlin

[geysir]

I'll go Whelan

Importance of game doesn't matter, the pressure in both games was almost equal. McLaughlin did very well to control & strike but the defending was poor in allowing him plenty of time to do it and there was a 1m wide passage through the phalanx players to direct his shot.
Whelan's goal - the move was deliberate and every part of it was inch perfect.