Eduardo Vargas scores 4 goals as Chile piles misery on Mexico

Eduardo Vargas is used to living in the shadows of Alexis Sanchez. Since the two players both kicked off their careers at Cobreloa, a Chilean club from a mining city, the former has consistently been one step behind the latter, unable to enjoy the type of career at the club level that his compatriot savours.

On Saturday, however, it was all about Vargas at Levi's Stadium.

As Chile ripped Mexico apart in the Copa America Centenario's quarter-finals, Vargas took control of the massacre, scoring four times between the fixture's 44th and 74th minute.

First came the simplest of finishes from a lovely set-up, in which Vargas merely needed to redirect the ball past Guillermo Ochoa after collecting a pass from Sanchez.

Then, in the early minutes of the second half and only moments after Sanchez scored, Vargas scored his second goal of the night when Chile forced an interception, allowing the tattooed forward to race free and slide the ball under Ochoa.

In the 57th minute, Vargas completed his hat trick, poking the ball high into the net after a phenomenal run from Jean Beausejour that forced Ochoa to punch directly into the native of Cobreloa's path. He became Chile's first player to score three goals in a match at the Copa America since 1955, when Enrique Hormazabal tallied a hat trick against Ecuador.

Just when it seemed like Vargas was done, however, he kept his foot on the accelerator, refusing to let the Chile's umpteenth attack die and shooting the ball high into the net once again from a difficult angle.

Making Vargas' quartet of goals even more impressive is that 100 percent of his shots on target beat Ochoa. He didn't miss once.

Only 11 other players have scored four goals in a game at the Copa America.