CONCACAF Champions Cup: Nashville, LAFC head home on top

Second-half goals from Woobens Pacius and Sam Surridge lifted Nashville SC to a 2-0 victory over Atletico Ottawa on Tuesday in Hamilton, Ontario, during the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup opening-round series.

The second leg of the two-game, total-goal series will be played on Feb. 24 in Nashville. The team that advances will face reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami in the round of 16 next month.

Pacius' goal in the 66th minute capped a fluid Nashville SC attack down the left flank. Josh Bauer, Warren Madrigal and Alex Muyl were all involved, and Matthew Corcoran made the pass into the penalty area for Pacius, who opened space for himself to roll a 14-yard right-footed shot into the bottom left corner.

In the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, the visitors sealed the first-leg win with a counterattack goal. With Ottawa's goalkeeper charging out and failing to reach the ball, Nashville's Cristian Espinoza passed across the box to Surridge for a tap-in into the vacated net.

Los Angeles FC 6, Real Espana 1

Denis Bouanga's hat trick powered LAFC to a first-leg rout of Real Espana in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The Black and Gold will host the second leg on Feb. 24, knowing they are all but assured of advancing to face Costa Rica's Alajuelense in the round of 16.

Bouanga put the visitors on top with a penalty kick in the third minute. David Martinez doubled the lead in the 11th minute when he curled the ball into the top left corner to complete a counterattack led by Son Heung-Min.

Penalty-kick goals by Son in the 22nd minute and Bouanga in the 24th made it 4-0, and Timothy Tillman's back-heel tally increased the margin to 5-0 in the 39th minute.

Real Espana's Jack Jean-Baptiste scored in the 51st minute before Bouanga completed his hat trick from close range in the 71st minute.