Switzerland defender Stephane Grichting admitted that being eliminated from the World Cup without conceding a goal in the entire tournament was a bitter pill to swallow.

The Swiss lost a penalty shoot-out 3-0 to Ukraine in the second round of the after a dull goalless draw in Cologne.

Grichting, who came on as a 33rd-minute substitute for Arsenal teenager Johan Djourou, who had pulled an adductor muscle, had an outstanding game as the Swiss ended extra-time having played 390 minutes of World Cup football without their goal being breached.

But, when it came to penalties, the resolve was lacking for Switzerland who failed to convert a single spot-kick while Ukraine tucked away three out of four to book a quarter-final meeting with Italy.

"It's very disappointing to lose on penalties like that after the tournament we have had," Grichting said.

"Even though we had a historic achievement in this tournament it counted for nothing and the best the Ukrainians could do against us was to play for penalties."

Grichting, one of the more experienced players in a very young Swiss team that coach Kobi Kuhn is grooming for Euro 2008 - a tournament the Swiss will co-host with Austria, felt that the tender age of some of the Swiss players was not a factor in the shoot-out defeat.

"It's true that we are a very young team," said Grichting.

"But the team had played 120 minutes flat out and there were some very tired legs.

"Andriy Shevchenko is one of the best strikers in the world but he missed his penalty as well so I don't think youth is the reason.

"Sadly we have to concede this result."

Ricardo Cabanas, with Marco Streller and Tranquillo Barnetta, was one of three Swiss players to miss from the spot.

Cabanas said: "We are very sad we have been eliminated - we played with great confidence in this World Cup but we did not show that confidence in the penalty shootout.

"We were trying to get in behind their defence but they had too many people back and we could not manage to get a goal - it's difficult to play against a team like that. They just had too many people back.

"But we need more experience of games like this if we are to develop."

Coach Kobi Kuhn was generous in defeat, saying: "In football sometimes you have to learn how to accept defeat, that's all.

"We tried to play football - we are not the sort of team that plays defensive football but we tried to play well.

"We needed just one goal - that's all we needed - but we could not find it. It's too sad for us. We had a good qualification (for the last 16) campaign against teams of the standard of France and South Korea.

"I saw the team had great desire to play and we must accept this, even if it was penalties that decided it."