Spot-kick glory for Ukraine
26 Jun 2006 - 22:51:34
Ukraine won a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 3-0 penalty shootout win over Switzerland, after a disappointing clash in Cologne ended goalless.
Four minutes in Hakan Yakin fired a shot narrowly wide of the near post after he had seen a cross cleared away from danger by Maxym Kalinichenko.
After 13 minutes Anatoliy Tymoschuk gave the ball away to Raphael Wicky, who forced a diving save from Olexandr Shovkovskiy from 30 yards out.
Twenty minutes in Ukraine almost took the lead as Kalinichenko's free-kick was headed down into the ground by Andriy Shevchenko and the effort came crashing back out off the crossbar.
Three minutes later the Swiss were denied by the woodwork as Alexander Frei curled a superb 25-yard free-kick against the bar, with Tranquillo Barnetta slicing the rebound wide.
A quiet first half's last opening came 15 minutes before the interval, as Andriy Vorobey laid the ball back to Oleh Shelayev and he saw his initial effort blocked, before he lashed a second attempt high over the top.
Straight after the restart Oleh Gusev fired in a superb cross and Andriy Voronin headed a yard wide of the far post.
Seven minutes in Voronin made space with a smart turn and snapped in a shot from 20 yards, but Pascal Zuberbuhler was right behind it.
Just after the hour mark, Ricardo Cabanas escaped any sanction for a dreadful stamp on Andriy Nesmachniy, which should have merited a red card.
Midway through the half Shevchenko cut in from the right and smashed a left-foot drive inches wide of the near post, with Zuberbuhler rooted to the spot.
Andriy Husin headed inches wide of the far post from Kalinichenko's accurate delivery 15 minutes from time, but neither side could force a winner, leading to extra-time.
The extra 30 minutes offered little in the way of goal chances, although Marco Streller threatened late on, only for Husin to make an outstanding challenge to blot out the danger.
Penalties proved to be a disaster for the Swiss, as Shovkovskiy saved from Streller and Cabanas and Barnetta hit the crossbar and when Gusev slammed his spot-kick home, Ukraine had won 3-0 and earned a showdown with Italy in the last eight.
