Vinicius' attempts to score a penalty for Gremio on Wednesday night failed in spectacular fashion. The former Premier League striker was in action for his current club in the Copa Sudamericana when he was presented with a golden opportunity to put his side ahead early in the contest. Vinicius previously had two separate spells in England with Fulham and Spurs, scoring eight goals in 53 Premier League appearances overall.
Vinicius was handed the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot against Chilean side Palestino after just 11 minutes. However, the 31-year-old saw his spot-kick saved by Sebastian Perez, who tipped the effort onto the post. It was a sign of the frustration to come for the striker, who has been in fine form since returning to his homeland.
Vinicius was handed an immediate reprieve, though, as Perez had stepped off his goal-line early. As he stepped up again, Vinicius went the other way by shooting to the goalkeeper's right. He was denied once again, however, with Perez tipping the ball away off the post.
The Palestino stopper was deemed to have come off his line too early again, though, meaning Vinicius would be handed a third chance to score. On this occasion, the forward slipped as he stuck the ball, allowing Perez to palm the ball away. There would not be another chance for Vinicius either after two separate retakes.
It would prove to be a costly miss, with Gremio unable to find a winner during the remainder of the match. Gremio had been given hope of grabbing a winner late on after Nicolas Meza was sent off for Palestino, but the match would ultimately finish 0-0.
The result leaves Gremio second in their Copa Sudamericana group after three matches. Despite the penalty disaster, Vinicius has been in impressive form since returning to his native Brazil last summer. He joined Gremio on a free transfer in July and has since scored 25 goals in all competitions; the former Tottenham Hotspur man also helped the club win a state championship in March.