Eduardo Vargas hits four goals as Chile romp past Mexico

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Four goals from Eduardo Vargas helped reigning champion Chile thrash Mexico 7-0 on Saturday in Levi's Stadium in the Copa America Centenario quarterfinal.

Edson Puch netted twice and Alexis Sanchez the other as La Roja booked a semifinal place against Colombia on Wednesday in Chicago in some style in the result of the tournament so far.

The loss was coach Juan Carlos Osorio's first in his eleventh game in charge of El Tri and ended Mexico's 22-game undefeated streak in unsightly fashion.

Chile rode out a stop-start beginning to the game and slowly began to exert control, but even La Roja would've been surprised at just how dominant they would be in a game both coaches said beforehand would be tight.

Chile took the lead in the 15th minute after Puch stroked in a rebound. A swift Chilean attack started by Alexis Sanchez saw Marcelo Diaz free to shoot from the edge of the box and El Tri keeper Guillermo Ochoa palm the ball out into Puch's path.

La Roja looked dangerous going forward and Vargas had the ball in the net in the 37th minute, although the officials ruled it out for offside.

But the second didn't take long as Jean Beausejour crossed from the left byline for Vargas to net Chile's second one minute before half-time.

By half-time, Mexico had just two shots and entered the Chilean penalty area just twice, compared to Chile's nine (three on goal).

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio sent his team out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Andres Guardado holding back slightly alongside Jesus Duenas in a holding midfield role, in comparison to his normal high-voltage box-to-box position. Osorio had left out Rafa Marquez in a surprise decision.

Osorio made two changes for Mexico at the break, with Raul Jimenez replacing Hirving Lozano and Carlos Pena coming on for Jesus Duenas. But the substitutions didn't change the flow of the game, with Chile even more dominant in the second half.

Chile extended its lead four minutes after half-time, after Arturo Vidal cut the ball back into Sanchez's path to tap in Chile's third.

Vargas then scored in the 52nd, 57th and 74th minute as Chile racked up the goals against a Mexico side shorn of the confidence it had shown this far in the tournament and a shambles at the back.

Puch netted the final goal of a historic night for both sides -- for very different reason -- three minutes from the end.

Mexico fans ended the game cheering each pass of the Chilean team, with many of the 70,500 pro-Mexico crowd spilling out of the stadium well before the final whistle.

The result will go down as classic from La Roja and leaves questions about Osorio and Mexico as they exit a tournament at which they had targeted a top-four place as a minimum.