Switzerland v Ukraine - Match Report

Gusiev books Ukraine hot date with Totti and Italy

Man of the match Oleg Gusiev slotted home the decisive penalty here on Monday to book debutants Ukraine a place in the World Cup quarter-finals as they beat Switzerland 3-0 in a penalty shootout after a dull match had finished 0-0 after extra-time.

The Ukrainians whose lack of ambition matched that of the Swiss will meet Italy - who beat Australia 1-0 earlier thanks to an injury-time penalty by Francesco Totti - in the last eight on Friday.

Ukraine and Switzerland's star strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Alexander Frei had come close to breaking the deadlock in the first-half but saw their efforts come off the bar leaving the match delicately poised at 0-0 at half-time.

Ukraine were having very little of the ball in the first period but they showed they could be dangerous in the 21st minute as Maksym Kalynychenko swung in a freekick from the left and Shevchenko stooped low to get his head to the ball and saw it bounce down and against the bar with Swiss 'keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler beaten.

However, the Swiss went desperately close themselves a few minutes later as Frei's superb freekick rattled the Ukrainian bar but though the ball fell to Patrick Muller a few metres out he skied his effort wide of the goal.

The Ukrainians started the second-half brightly with Andrei Voronin going close with a header which flashed past Zuberbuhler's post.

However there was little of note for at least the next 20 minutes until Shevchenko brought the ball down - with his arm admittedly but the referee missed it - and turned Ludovic Magnin inside out before lashing a divine shot just wide of the post.

The Ukrainians were seemingly more capable of raising themselves from the turgid play and Andriy Gusin saw his 70th minute header from a corner scrape the far post with Zuberbuhler completely lost.

Extra-time required everybody having a large dose of caffeine to keep themselves awake with the most notable thing being the bizarre substitution with just five minutes remaining to penalties of Frei by Mario Lustrinelli.

Frei left the pitch shaking his head, but the spectators were doing the same thing but only in wonderment that these sides are reputedly two of the best 16 sides in the world.

The penalties proved catastrophic as while Shevchenko saw his saved by Zuberbuhler - who was to exit the tournament not having conceded a goal in open play - the next three Swiss players all missed theirs to allow Gusiev his deserved moment of glory.