By now, Eduardo Vargas should be used to living in the shadows of Alexis Sanchez. The pair each notched doubles to end their mutual eight-month scoreless streak in national colours in Chile's 4-2 win over Panama on Tuesday, but Sanchez got the plaudits courtesy of a beautifully executed volley and a crisp header that pushed him ever-closer toward becoming the country's all-time leading goal scorer.
Vargas and Sanchez both began their careers at Cobreloa, a small club from the mining city of Calama that are facing severe financial difficulties, but their paths there were very different. Sanchez was on the radar of top-division clubs from an early age and spent time in the youth systems of Universidad Catolica and Deportes Antofagasta before joining Cobreloa. Vargas, meanwhile, scrapped around in local youth tournaments and even entered a television reality competition before being signed at the age of 16.
At that same age, but a year earlier, Sanchez had become one of the youngest-ever players to appear in the Copa Libertadores. By the time Vargas debuted for the first team at 18, Sanchez was on the upward path that eventually culminated in big-money transfers to Barcelona in 2011 and Arsenal in 2014.
While Vargas was similarly impressive in his early appearances for Cobreloa, he took time to settle upon moving up to Universidad de Chile and has yet to establish a home for himself in Europe since his move to Napoli in 2012. Following loan spells at Gremio, Valencia and QPR, Vargas signed for Hoffenheim in 2015.
One arena in which the pair have been more evenly matched is in the national team. Sanchez obviously got there first; he was given his debut by then-manager Nelson Acosta in 2006 before appearing at the 2010 World Cup under Marcelo Bielsa. But Vargas became an almost equally important player after the appointment of his ex-Universidad de Chile manager, Jorge Sampaoli, in late 2012. Paired as a mobile front two, the partnership of Vargas and Sanchez was one of the cornerstones of Chile's success under Sampaoli.
"They played as if they were doing so from memory," Sampaoli recalled earlier this year. "It only took two days together for them to understand each other's movements."
The culmination of that project came at last year's Copa America, as Chile lifted their first-ever major international trophy. Sanchez had the honour of consummating the triumph with the decisive penalty kick in the shootout win over Argentina in the final, but Vargas made the more important attacking contribution with the two goals that drove his side to victory over Peru in a tense and testing semifinal.
The arrival of Juan Antonio Pizzi as Sampaoli's replacement earlier this year did, however, put the partnership at risk. Vargas was suspended for Pizzi's first two matches in charge and returned to the group in the buildup to the Copa America Centenario to find a manager who was doubtful of Vargas' ability to play through the middle. Vargas was positioned on the right flank in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Jamaica last month and again in Chile's opening match of the tournament against Argentina. He then found himself on the bench against Bolivia.
But the new coach's rapid rotation through his various attacking options eventually led back to Sanchez and Vargas being reinstalled as his primary forwards, albeit now as part of a front three, for the victory over Panama.
Vargas' two goals in that match saw him move within two of fourth-place Carlos Caszely on the list of Chile's all-time top scorers. With 27 goals, Vargas is only six behind Sanchez, who is in third place. Vargas' scoring rate of just under a goal for every two appearances is only marginally worse than those of the top two: Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas. Vargas has a solid chance of overtaking both before his career is out.
However, Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Gary Medel currently hold the most prominent places in the national consciousness, following in the footsteps of '90s stars Salas and Zamorano and the likes of Caszely, Elias Figueroa and Leonel Sanchez before them. While all 23 members of last year's Copa America-winning squad are assured of a special place in the history of the Chilean national team, Vargas maybe deserves a bit more individual attention.
It perhaps counts against him that he lacks the outright explosiveness that was inherent in so many of the most fondly remembered strikers of the '90s. His work is more subtle, based on intelligent positioning, quick reactions and the clever use of his squat frame and low centre of gravity to fashion little pockets of space to get off shots inside the area.
His inability to replicate his national team scoring rate at the club level has also been harmful. His season under Sampaoli's command at Universidad de Chile back in 2011 represents the only time he has ever come close to doing so. In the past three seasons, at four different clubs in four different leagues, Vargas has managed 14 goals in 80 appearances. Often positioned in wide areas, goals have been relatively scarce.
Vargas is a quiet character and there is no sense that he feels particularly aggrieved by the attention that is focused on some of his teammates. After early troubles under Pizzi, Vargas will simply be happy to take his place alongside Medel, Vidal and Sanchez when Chile line up against Mexico on Saturday. Vargas will quietly but effectively go about his business, searching for space and perhaps providing the finishing touches to send Chile through to the final four.