2015 Copa America winners, Chile racked up their joint biggest ever Copa America victory after a 7-0 rout over Mexico, equalling their 1979 demolition of Venezuela.
Chile, by contrast, were beaten by Argentina, scraped past Bolivia and finally found their stride in an attacking sense against Panama, although the defence was still faulty.
However, in the San Francisco Bay on Saturday night, everything clicked for La Roja and fell to pieces for their opponents.
Juan Antonio Pizzi has struggled to harness his team's power in the first few months of his reign, but did just that in a mauling of Mexico which never looked in doubt.
Eduardo Vargas led the way with four goals, as many as he bagged in 22 appearances for Queens Park Rangers, and along with the two he netted against Panama, now has six in two games.
He was aided by top class performances from Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal, two players who have improved with each passing game in this year's Copa.
The latter is suspended for the semi-final after being booked in this match, and he will be a huge miss for Pizzi's team.
Chile, champions last in 2015, didn't seem like they would be in with a strong shot of victory again as they adjusted to the new manager. Now they are second favouites, behind Argentina.
It took little over a quarter of an hour for them to take the lead, when Diaz's strike was parried by Ochoa into the path of Edson Puch, who gleefully slotted home.
Chile kept up their intensity in attack and were rewarded on the stroke of half-time, with Vargas prodding home from close range. Vidal fed Sanchez for the third, while Vargas darted clear of the defence and finished under Ochoa to make it four.
He completed his hat-trick after Jean Beausejour, another player who suffered in England but is thriving for his country, demolished Mexico down the left and fed the striker, who scored from the six-yard box.
Vargas still had more in the bag, following up after a scramble in the Mexico box to rifle home, before Puch put the cherry on the cake at the death by lifting the ball over Ochoa for No 7.
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