Four-goal king Vargas with other team mates

Eduardo Vargas and Chile turned a highly anticipated Copa America Centenario Quarterfinal into a rout, thumping Mexico 7-0 with Vargas scoring four of his team’s goals Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Chile kept their hopes alive to repeat as Copa America champion after they won the 2015 tournament on their own soil. They advanced to the Semifinal Round to face Colombia Wednesday in Chicago.

Mexico’s record 22-match unbeaten streak came crashing to a halt, as did their run in Copa America Centenario in front of a largely pro-Mexico crowd of 70,547. El Tri had lost only once in six previous meetings with Chile, but fell apart defensively time after time on Saturday.

Chile put the pressure on Mexico when Marcelo Diaz had time for a running start and shot on goal, which Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa stopped. The deflection came out to Edson Puch, who finished in the 16th minute

Puch also had Chile’s last goal, scored in the 88th minute.

La Roja thought they had a second goal in the 37th minute, but Vargas was ruled offside after his shot found the net.

Vargas would get his goal and many more. He collected a pass through three defenders from Alexis Sanchez and scored from close range in the 44th minute. And with Mexico’s defense pushed forward trying to mount an attack, Vargas dribbled into the open and scored in the 52nd minute.

Sanchez scored after a smooth give-and-go with teammate Arturo Vidal in the 49th minute and Vargas collected a deflected shot to record his third goal in the 57th.

Vargas added one more for good measure, collecting a rebound off the post and shooting from a tight angle at the near post in the 74th minute, becoming the 12th player to score four goals in a Copa America match

Vargas shared the Golden Boot at the 2015 Copa America with Peru’s Paolo Guerrero; both had four. With six goals and two more games to play, Vargas leads the tournament in scoring once again, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi sitting two goals back in second place.

In the earlier match on Sunday morning (GMT), Argentina also thrashed Venezuela 4-1 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Lionel Messi tied Argentina’s all-time scoring record and set up two other goals as La Albiceleste cruised to a 4-1 win.  Seeking a first Copa América title since 1993, Argentina advances to the Semifinals against the host United States Tuesday in Houston, while Chile will  on 23 June meet Colombia, which edged out Peru on penalties.

To qualify for the semi-finals, USA beat Ecuador 2-1.

Culled from: CopaAmerica2016