Chile opened their Copa America title defense in style, beating Japan 4-0. This game was a special one for attacker Alexis Sanchez as he got his name on the scoresheet in the victory over the Asian giants.
Nothing but joy could be seen on the Chilean's face as he celebrated scoring his first goal since January. The Man United ace netted La Roja's third goal of the day, putting an end to his five-month drought.
Despite being the Red Devils' highest-paid player, the last time the Chilean scored for his current employers was against his former club Arsenal in their January 25 FA Cup showdown. After the victory over the Samurai Blue, the 30-year-old opened up about that experience.
“For six weeks I felt worse than I ever have before," Alexis told reports after the game (as per the Sun).
“I struggled in the first half as I felt stifled but in the second half I was more relaxed and played with more freedom and excitement.”
Reports claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to be rid off Sanchez and his high wages. Amid this uncertainty, the attacker has his mind focused on one thing and one thing only: the 2019 Copa America.
Despite failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Roja's all-time leading goalscorer insists they have improved. “I think we have improved as a team since 2015 in defending and getting on the attack quickly," he added.
“We've won a very difficult game and now we have to think about our next one.”
The 4-0 victory means the reigning champion kicked things off with a win. With three points under the bag, next up for them is a showdown with Ecuador.
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