Chilean Striker Mauricio Pinilla’s Tattoo May Not Be The Most Painful Thing As Compared To The Memory

While the FIFA World Cup has offered soccer fans countless happy memories, there are quite a few ones that will be cried over. One such was the last-ditch World Cup goal attempt that rattled the bar in Chile’s second round defeat by Brazil. The ill-fated goal was attempted by Chile striker Mauricio Pinilla, who has embedded the memory on his back by getting one of the most painful tattoos.

Mauricio Pinilla’s recently inked back shows the exact moment, when he shot the ball towards Brazil’s goal-post. It would have been one for the history books, but destiny had other plans, the ball soared high and hit the bar, which shuddered, but did not let the ball pass through. ‘La Roja’ would have almost clinched an upset victory against the hosts in extra time on Saturday when substitute Pinilla’s powerful shot struck the woodwork with Brazil fans holding their breath. The thrilling game finished 1-1 moments later and went to a penalty shootout.

The host country Brazil took the advantage of the situation and won in Belo Horizonte to edge into the quarter-finals. Thoroughly devastated, Chile has headed home. As a constant sobering reminder of the moment when Chile could have edged ahead of Brazil, now painfully rests on Mauricio Pinilla as the most painful tattoo, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

The ‘most painful tattoo’, as it has come to be known, depicts the scene in vivid clarity. “One Centimeter from Glory,” reads the tagline next to a drawing depicting the shot on Pinilla’s lower back. The ball hitting the crossbar radiates like a sun in the tattoo. The tattoo artist, Marlon Parra, has apparently taken some creative liberty in showing the bar exploding around the ball, reported Yahoo.

“He said it was an inerasable wound,” said Parra. “That he hasn’t stopped thinking about that moment, in what could have happened if the ball had been a few centimeters lower. What he wanted to do was leave a record of the suffering he’s going through,” explained Parra.

Interestingly, the tattoo might be just one the most painful memories for Mauricio, as he allegedly took a punch from Rodrigo Paiva. While Mauricio’s friend, Uruguay’s Suarez received a four-month suspension, Rodrigo was let off with just a single match ban.

But clearly, now those incidents do not matter. The missed goal however, will forever remain etched as the most painful tattoo ever for the Chilean striker.

[Image Credit | The Sydney Morning Herald via Twitter, AP]