The 2006 World Cup in Germany
A booksmusicfilmstv.com surreal take on the footie fest in Germany
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A desperately dull game saw the Ukraine reach their first World Cup quarter final, and the Swiss go out of the competition without conceding a goal.

It seemed inevitable from an early stage that the game would be decided by penalties. Switzerland started the brighter, with Raphael Wicky working an opening to unleash a cracking long range shot, which 'keeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi did well to turn round. Then a good free kick, from the left, by Maxim Kalinichenko saw Andriy Shevchenko hit the Swiss crossbar with a diving header. The Swiss then also hit the bar, from a wonderful free kick from Alexander Frei. In the second half, Shevchenko flashed a brilliant shot just wide, and the Ukraine came close to scoiring again, when Andriy Gusin just flicked his header wide from a corner. Those were the game's highlights, but one word of praise for Switzerland defender Ludovic Magnin. If everyone on the pitch had been as forceful as him, then the game might have been a classic.

So it came down to a penalty shoot-out. Shevchenko saw his spot kick saved by Pascal Zuberbuehler, but the Swiss missed all their penalties, taken by substitute Marco Streller (saved), Tranquillo Barnetta (hit bar), and Ricardo Cabanas (saved). Ukrainian substitute Artem Milevskiy coolly chipped in his penalty, followed by successful conversions from fellow sub Sergei Rebrov, and Oleg Gusev's decisive kick. It was no surprise that a goalkeeper would be the hero - in this case the Ukraine's Shovkovskyi.

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.