Russian soccer goalie hurt by exploding firecracker thrown on the field

A Russian soccer match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow was called off in the first half Saturday after backup goalkeeper Anton Shunin was injured by a firecracker that was thrown on to the pitch and exploded next to the visiting team's goalie.

Shunin was taken to a Moscow hospital where the state news agency RIA Novosti said he suffered an eye injury, reports The New York Daily News.

If you listen to the video at 0:10, you can hear a loud pop right before play stops and players rush over to the smoke covered goalie.



The firecracker was thrown from the stands holding Zenit fans in the 36th minute of Saturday's game at Khimki Stadium just outside Moscow.

After the blast, Shunin fell to the pitch holding his face before he was helped to the sidelines.

The Interfax news agency said several people were detained in connection with the incident, but there were no charges filed.

On Wednesday, a soccer match in Argentina sounded like a war zone when fans threw explosive devices onto the field forcing officials to suspend play.

There are no details on how serious Shunin's injuries are.