I would have imagined that Ronnie Whelan was watching the Euro 1988 final with his friends or family and reflecting back on his great year, great Euro, and most important, his great goal that would be undoubtedly win the memory of the world as 'goal of the tournament'.
Ronnie goal was against Soviet Union in the first round, and after Republic of Ireland defeated England 1-0, they almost did the same with Soviet Union, but the game ended 1-1 tie. Ireland lost after a tough game to the champ, Netherlands 0-1. Ireland was in a group that had both teams of the final, the Soviets and the Dutch.
Ronnie goal was an amazing one, and would have been qualified as the goal of the tournaments of most if not all of the other Euros, apart from the 1988 one. It only needed a goal like Maradona 86 quality to beat it, ................, or may be, Marco Van Basten.
In the final, Netherlands was winning 1-0 with a very nice goal by Ruud Gullit header. At the beginning of the second half, Marco Van Basten scored a more amazing goal, and a more decisive one, and from a more popular team, the Orange, and against the same great keeper, Rinat Dasaev, the second best keeper in Soviets history after Lev Yashin.
I don't know if Ronnie would have been applauding to the goal or not at that moment, but for sure, it meant a bad news for him. His amazing volley was sent to the backstage and was forgotten as one of best ever goals in the history of the Euros.
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