Chile Drubbing at Copa America Leaves Mexico with Much to Ponder

It wasn't supposed to end like that.

Mexico's hopes of a first Copa America triumph weren't just dashed by Chile in a one-sided quarter-final on Saturday. They were stamped on, put through a blender and then incinerated.

After 22 games without defeat, a run that stretched back 364 days, El Tri were routed 7-0 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

That's right. The pick of the ties in the last eight finished Chile 7, Mexico 0. Astonishingly, it could have been even more.

Some couldn't help themselves on Twitter:

First and foremost, La Roja—the holders—were superb from start to finish.

Eduardo Vargas will rightly hog the headlines having scored four goals, but Chile's two superstars, Arturo Vidal—who will miss his team's next game through suspension—and Alexis Sanchez, were outstanding.

So too was defender Jean Beausejour. His runs down the left wing caused serious issues to a Mexico team that had hoped its full-backs would do something similar to the opposition.

But Chile's performance wasn't so much about individuals. As a team, they pressed the ball. And pressed. Then pressed a little more. They hunted as a pack and picked apart a below-par Mexico.

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Goals in the 16th minute and at end of the first half put Chile into a deserved 2-0 lead at the interval, but few could have predicted what would unfold in the second 45 minutes.

Within 15 minutes of the restart, Chile had scored three more times to put the game well out of sight. It sparked a mass exodus of Mexico fans, who had turned up in an optimistic mood but filed out before full time in a state of shock.

Some of those who hung around couldn't contain their frustration. Javier Hernandez had to go over to appeal to one section of the crowd to stop throwing debris onto the field.

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio suddenly finds himself sitting on a warm seat. His team had not suffered defeat in his first 10 games in charge, but such a heavy loss will lead to questions about his future.

Prior to facing Chile, Mexico had conceded just two goals in Osorio's entire reign.

His team selection will be heavily scrutinised. Guillermo Ochoa got the nod in goal after all three goalkeepers—Alfredo Talavera and Jose de Jesus Corona the others—in the 23-man squad had been used in the group stage.

Ochoa was the popular choice to start (he gained more than 88 per cent of the votes in a Bleacher Report poll), yet he ended up picking more out of his net than a fisherman following a successful catch.

Surprisingly, Rafael Marquez's name was nowhere to be seen in the starting XI—not at centre-back or as the anchoring midfielder in Mexico's 4-3-3 formation.

Osorio—who missed out on a semi-final against his homeland of Colombia—also raised eyebrows with his decision to put on Carlos Pena at half-time. The midfielder had been one of only two players not used in the previous round yet was suddenly called on to try to help launch a comeback.

But while their coach may come under pressure, Mexico's players should not escape without blame.

The sun was setting when the game kicked off, meaning Mexico's half of the field was bathed in sunshine for much of the first 45 minutes. It was appropriate, considering El Tri had to chase shadows from the kick-off.

Chile's second goal, scored by Vargas in the 44th minute, summed up the opening half.

Sanchez's awareness and movement were key, but Mexico inexplicably allowed the Arsenal player time and space to pick out a cross.

When it came in from the left, Vargas was the quickest to react. He got in front of his marker, controlled the ball perfectly into his path and then steered a low shot across Ochoa and into the goal.

At the other end of the field, poor Hernandez barely had a kick. Mexico's centre-forward was left isolated as the wingers were forced to track back, and the usually attacking Hector Herrera never had chance to offer support from midfield.

Osorio made a double change at half-time, bringing on Pena and forward Raul Jimenez, yet things went from bad to worse.

Mexico's slim chances of a comeback disappeared when they coughed up possession just outside their own area in the 49th minute. Chile's high press allowed Vidal to set up Sanchez for an easy finish.

From then on, it was just a matter of how many Chile wanted to score.

Even Osorio's attempt at damage limitation—he sent on defender Diego Reyes to replace winger Jesus Manuel Corona with the score 5-0 in the 60th minute—failed.

The goals kept going in, leading to more and more empty seats inside the stadium. Chile finished with a magnificent seven.

Mexico bowed out of the Copa America Centenario with their tails firmly between their legs. El Tri were dominated and drubbed by a side that—considering Chile also played a 4-3-3—beat them at their own game.

Having arrived in the United States in fine form and with exceedingly high hopes, Osorio's squad heads home after a humiliating defeat that will lead to a lengthy postmortem.