Switzerland midfielder who beat Spain versatile

Gelson Fernandes can play almost anywhere for Switzerland, except as a striker.

So the Saint-Etienne defensive midfielder was as shocked as everybody else when he popped up in the penalty area Wednesday night to give his adopted country a stunning 1-0 victory over World Cup favorite Spain.

It was only Fernandes' second goal in 24 internationals and he said it was a stroke of good fortune he was on hand to tap in the ball after Eren Derdiyok's surging 52nd-minute run was halted by a combination of Iker Casillas and Gerard Pique.

"To be fair, I'm not used to scoring goals, so I was a bit surprised," Fernandes said. "It was a bit of luck."

Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said Fernandes forced his way into the World Cup squad with good performances in the qualification matches he played in. Since then, he has developed into a key member of the tightly organized team.

"Fernandes hopped onto the bandwagon very late _ but he's shown great form," Hitzfeld said. "He's a very valuable player _ you just love them. He plays in many positions and motivates his teammates."

He has never been more valuable than Wednesday, when his goal gave Switzerland its first win over Spain in 18 attempts and an unexpected stepping stone toward qualifying for the round of 16 in South Africa.

The significance will take a while to sink in.

"I'll probably realize this after my career," he said. "It's a special moment for our team _ the most important part is the team spirit we have."

Switzerland's next match is Monday against Chile in Port Elizabeth, it then faces Honduras in its final Group H encounter. Spain has to regroup before taking on Honduras in Johannesburg and Chile in Pretoria.

Fernandes' presence in the penalty area to snatch the match winner was all the more surprising given Hitzfeld's ultra-defensive game plan _ packing the defense and midfield to stifle Spain's creativity. The midfield rarely moved up in support of striker Derdiyok, who was starting in place of injured captain and top scorer Alex Frei.

But the former Manchester City midfielder who now plays for Saint-Etienne in France said he is happy to go where he is told on the pitch.

"I'm usually in defense and midfield," he said. "The manager played me on the left _ I'm used to playing different positions. That's no problem for me."