Mauricio Pinilla

Mauricio Ricardo Pinilla Ferrera (born 4 February 1984 in Santiago, Chile), is a Chile football (soccer) who currently plays for Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, in the striker position.

Career

Domestic

Pinilla started his career with Universidad de Chile (football club), leaving for Europe football and Italy giants F.C. Internazionale Milano in 2003. He was immediately loaned to fellow Serie A side Chievo Verona, finishing 2003-04 loaned again, to La Liga outfit Real Club Celta de Vigo. Respectively, he had 5 and 6 scoreless league appearances.

In the summer of 2004, Portugal side Sporting Clube de Portugal bought 50% of his playing rights, and Pinilla, having spent much of the season on a low note, finished with 5 goals in Portuguese Liga 2004-05, notably a hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Sporting Clube de Braga, on May 1, 2005.

However, Pinilla was also unable to settle at Sporting and, on January 2006, would move on loan, finishing La Liga 2005-06 at Racing de Santander. On February 26, 2006, he netted his only goal (a penalty kick) for the Cantabria side, in a 2-2 away draw against Deportivo Alavés.

In 2006-07 he was loaned to Scotland side Heart of Midlothian F.C. His time with the Edinburgh club was beset by injuries, resulting in him only playing a handful of times for the first team. On February 27, 2007, Pinilla returned to Chile and Universidad, yet on loan. He returned to Hearts for pre-season training ahead of 2007-08, with Hearts buying out Sporting's rights half. Inter, for whom he still had failed to make a single appearance, retained the other half.

Pinilla's return to playing football with Hearts had a major setback when it was revealed Pinilla had a fractured scaphoid, a hidden injury sustained while still in Chile. This put him out of action for a 6 further weeks. He recovered from this in Spain, returning to training with Hearts on September 12.

On 9 January 2008 it was reported that Pinilla had sustained another injury in training that sidelined him for the rest of the Scottish Premier League 2007-08. On 6 May, the Edinburgh Evening News stated that Pinilla had signed a deal which would keep him at Hearts until 2011 after buying out his contract with Inter Milan. Hearts stated on their website on July 1, however, that they had released Pinilla from his contract. This was confirmed by BBC Sport the same day.

In early September 2008, Pinilla joined Brazil's Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama.

International

An established Chile national football team since 2003, Pinilla led his country's scoring during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, with three goals. However, after his loan spell in Chile with Universidad he fell out of favour with national team manager, being left out of the squad for the 2007 Copa America.