Wes Hoolahan (Republic of Ireland) vs Sweden
This goal was brilliant two ways. Firstly, Wes Hoohalan’s technique was absolutely spot on. If you’ve played football, you know it’s never easy to hit it on a first=time, and get just the right amount of power to slot it into the back of the net. Hoohalan did it to perfection. But more importantly, it was a goal that gave them a much-deserved lead against Sweden, albeit temporarily. Hoolahan was arguably one of Ireland’s best players on the pitch and he thoroughly deserved this strike.
Eric Dier (England) vs Russia
It was strange to see Eric Dier step up to take this free-kick, considering England had plenty of other recognizable options on the pitch, including Wayne Rooney. But as soon as struck the ball, it was evident why. Dier smashed a terrific free-kick that had so much power, and it found the back of the net to put England 1-0 ahead. It still doesn’t feel right to see Dier standing behind the ball, but this goal will always validate his desire to continuously grow as a set-piece specialist for both club and country.
Gareth Bale (Wales) vs Slovakia
He was always going to be Wales’ number one threat from every situation, including set-piece. And against Slovakia, he showed exactly why there’s a gulf of class between him and his other Welsh teammates. Bale stepped up to produce another one of his famous ‘Ronaldo-esque’ attempts and it dipped brilliantly to beat the Slovakian goalie and hand them a 1-0 lead in the game. Fantastic strike!
Luka Modric (Croatia) vs Turkey
Boy oh boy, what a sweet strike this was. So much was said about Modric’s ability prior to the game, and he did not disappoint by smashing in the winning goal to hand Croatia all three points. And what a way to do it as well! He was sitting deep as usual, but as soon as he noticed Turkey’s unsuccessful clearance, he charged forward before timing his shot to perfection. There was no way Volkan Babacan could have saved that!
Dimitri Payet (France) vs Romania
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBBh3bVUcE
Elegance, finesse and class. This goal had every single one of them. It hasn’t been easy for Dimitri Payet – he’s had to work really hard to get to this stage. But during the opener against Romania, Payet was undoubtedly France’s best player on the pitch. And he capped it off by scoring an astounding 89th minute winner, before shedding tears as he was subbed off. We can’t stop ourselves from replaying this goal!
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