LANGFORD, B.C., Canada (Feb. 21, 2024) – Orlando City SC earned its first win of the 2024 season on Wednesday night in Canada, defeating Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC by a 3-0 scoreline outside of Vancouver. The two teams will meet again in just under a week, with Orlando City hosting the second and final leg of the tournament’s opening round at INTER&Co Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Kickoff for the second leg is set for 6 p.m. ET with tickets available here.
The Lions jumped out to an early lead, with Duncan McGuire picking up where he left off from last year, finishing off a Martin Ojeda cross to put Orlando up 1-0. Then, Facundo Torres added a goal on each side of the half for the three-goal victory.
The clean sheet marked the second road shutout in as many CCC matches, with the Lions having also kept Tigres off the board last year in Monterrey. The win also marked the first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup victory for the Lions, with 0-0 and 1-1 results last year against Tigres.
Scoring Summary:
21’ Duncan McGuire (Martín Ojeda) – ORL 1, CAV 0
The Lions opened up their scoring for the season in the 21st minute with Iván Angulo unleashing Martín Ojeda down the left wing and behind the Cavalry backline with a through ball. Ojeda dribbled towards the endline before firing a cross to a charging Duncan McGuire at the near post for an easy tap-in finish.
38’ Facundo Torres (Dagur Dan Thórhallsson) – ORL 2, CAV 0
Facundo Torres added to City’s lead just 17 minutes later, taking a ball from Dagur Dan Thórhallsson down the right wing, before dribbling across the top of the box and letting loose a shot that forced goalkeeper Marco Carducci to try and make a stop that ultimately resulted in Torres’ first goal of the year.
75’ Facundo Torres (Iván Angulo) – ORL 3, CAV 0
Torres added a third with just 15 minutes left in the match after some great combination play let the Lions loose down the left wing. Angulo, crossed it to a wide open Facundo Torres on the back post who headed it home for his second of the night.
Assistant Coach Diego Torres:
“The match was very good and very good for our team. This game was difficult with the different field, the turf isn’t comfortable for our players, but their adaptability to the field was very good. Today the players and I had a promise for a clean sheet, it was very important for us, and to score three goals was good for the return leg at home. Now the coaching staff will review the game and then tomorrow to think on the opponent in the league.”
Match Notes
- Duncan McGuire and Facundo Torres opened their accounts on the year, scoring the Lions' first goals of the 2024 campaign in the 21st and 38th minutes respectively.
- With his 75th minute goal, Facundo Torres completed a brace on the night – his first since August 26, 2023, in a win over St. Louis CITY SC.
- Midfielders Martín Ojeda and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson picked up their first assists of the 2024 campaign, their 11th and fourth respectively all-time for the Lions.
- Midfielder Nico Lodeiro made his first appearance for Orlando City in the match, entering as a second-half substitute in the 62nd minute.
- The win marked Orlando City’s first Concacaf Champions Cup win in Club history.
- Head Coach Oscar Pareja wasn’t on the sidelines for City’s first leg matchup with Cavalry while he served a one-match suspension for a red card he received after last year’s matchup with Tigres UANL. The Lions were managed by First Assistant Coach Diego Torres on the night.
