The two-time champions Chile began their CONMEBOL Copa América title defence on Monday with a decisive 4-0 win over Japan, the same result that had happened in the other group match in favour of Uruguay, the other Copa América Group C favourites, against Ecuador.
It was an intense match that had to work the Chilean team, after the proposal of the Asians, but the two-time champions ended up taking the three points, which equal them at the top of Group C with Uruguay, with two goals from Eduardo Vargas (54 and 83) and goals from Erick Pulgar (41) and Alexis Sanchez (82).
Vargas, a striker for Tigres in Mexico, made it to 12 goals in the CONMEBOL Copa América, replacing Peru's Paolo Guerrero (11 goals) as the tournament's top scorer.
On the next matchday, Uruguay will face Japan on Thursday, June 20, and a day later, Chile will face Ecuador.
Statistics
Statistics
- With a 4-0 win over Japan, Chile have an unbeaten record of six Copa América matches, with five wins and a tie.
- Chile won its debut for the fourth time in the last five editions of the Copa América, losing 2-1 to Argentina in 2016.
- Japan lost 4-0 to Chile and still doesn't win the Copa América; they had played the 1999 edition, when they lost 2-3 to Peru, 4-0 to Paraguay and drew 1-1 with Bolivia.
- Chile have four straight matches on the unbeaten goal, a streak they have had for the first time in their history in the Copa America; the last goal was scored by Panama's Abdiel Arroyo in the final game of the group stage in the 2016 edition.
- Chilean Eduardo Vargas was the only player to score two goals on the first day of the group phase of the Copa América 2019.
- Charles Aránguiz assisted two goals for the first time playing for Chile in the 4-0 win over Japan in the Copa América; it was also the first assistance to Alexis Sánchez.
- Erick Pulgar scored his first goal for Chile in his 17th game with the national team and in his second game in CONMEBOL Copa América.
- Eduardo Vargas scored a double against Japan and reached 12 goals in Copa América, beating Enrique Hormazábal (10) as Chile's all-time leading scorer in the competition.
- Eduardo Vargas (12) overcame Paolo Guerrero (11) as the active player with the most goals in the Copa América; he is also Chile's all-time leading scorer in the competition.
