One of the Worst Penalties Ever: Player Misses Spot Kick and Gets Injured in the Attempt

In a friendly match plagued by missed penalties, Colo Colo and Peñarol played to a 1–1 draw in regulation time before settling the contest in an unusually long and chaotic penalty shootout. The match was defined more by nerves and mistakes than by quality, producing scenes that were as bizarre as they were painful.

The deadlock was broken late in the first half thanks to a goal from Víctor Felipe Méndez, while Facundo Batista struck in the closing minutes to level the score and force the match to penalties. What followed was a shootout full of errors from the very start. A total of 18 penalties were taken, yet only seven found the back of the net. Eleven missed attempts underscored a tense, erratic definition filled with technical mistakes and questionable decisions from the spot.

Amid the confusion, Cristián Zavala became the central figure. The winger came on in the second half and finished the match already dealing with knee discomfort, yet the coaching staff still selected him to take Colo Colo’s sixth penalty. Zavala approached the ball with a short run-up and a light jog. Standing opposite him, goalkeeper Washington Aguerre had already saved multiple penalties and looked confident between the posts. Zavala opted for a delicate chip down the middle, but the attempt lacked power and was completely telegraphed.

Aguerre stayed planted in the center of the goal and caught the ball comfortably. Immediately after the miss, Zavala collapsed to the ground beside the goal, clearly in pain from his right knee. He rolled down his socks, grabbed the affected area, and received medical attention on the spot.

Despite Zavala’s miss, Colo Colo managed to hold their advantage and closed out the shootout with a 4–3 victory. The penalty drama will be remembered less for successful executions and more for the sheer number of mistakes from twelve yards.

For Fernando Ortiz’s side, the result at least offered some relief. Compared to recent performances against Olimpia and Alianza Lima, Colo Colo showed slight improvement in a friendly that raised more questions than answers, but ended with a much-needed win.