Orlando City SC beat the Cavalry FC 3-0 in CONCACAF Champions Champions Cup action at Starlight Stadium on Wednesday.
Facundo Torres had two goals while Duncan McGuire scored the opener, and eventual winner, for the U.S. side.
The opening leg of the first-round game was played on the artificial turf of Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., rather than Cavalry’s home venue of ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows due to the Alberta winter.
Orlando outshot their Canadian counterparts 13-8 and enjoyed more possession in the win.
Cavalry opens the CPL regular season April 13 at Forge with its home opener not until April 28.
The return leg is Feb. 27 at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium.
Cavalry is the last Canadian team standing in CONCACAF’s elite club competition. Forge FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps have already been eliminated by Mexican competition.
Forge, which edged Cavalry 2-1 after extra time to win the 2023 CPL title in October, was ousted 5-2 on aggregate by Chivas Guadalajara last week while the Whitecaps were beaten 3-0 at Tigres UANL after holding the Mexican side to a 1-1 tie in a first-leg game played at Starlight Stadium because B.C. Place Stadium was booked for another event.
–with files from The Canadian Press’ Neil Davidson