LAFC Delivers Early Statement as MLS and Colombian Sides Start CONCACAF and Libertadores Continental Campaigns Positively

Los Angeles, CA – Major League Soccer’s continental representatives wasted no time announcing their intentions in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while Colombia’s Liga Betplay clubs echoed the sentiment in the Copa Libertadores as both regions opened their knockout campaigns in convincing fashion.

LAFC, still a week away from kicking off its MLS regular season, produced the round’s most resounding result, dismantling Honduran side CD Olimpia 6-1 inside a packed Estadio Nacional in Tegucigalpa. Denis Bouanga, one of the league’s leading MVP candidates, needed only 11 minutes to open the scoring and completed a hat-trick before the hour mark. A Son penalty, plus finishes from David Martínez Morales and Timothy Tillman, padded the advantage before a late consolation for the hosts. The victory gives the black-and-gold a near-insurmountable cushion ahead of next week’s return leg and, if they finish the job, sets up a date with Costa Rican giants Alajuelense in the round of 16.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Nashville SC left it late but ultimately subdued Canadian Premier League outfit Atlético Ottawa 2-0. Woobens Pacius and Sam Surridge struck in second-half stoppage time to reward the Tennessee club’s dominance—Nashville out-shot Ottawa 18-5—and position itself as heavy favorites ahead of the home leg. The winner will earn a glamour tie against Inter Miami.

Philadelphia Union were equally emphatic, routing Defence Force of Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 at Subaru Park. The Caribbean representative managed just four shots on target, underscoring the still-wide gulf in depth between MLS and most Caribbean clubs. Jim Curtin’s side now await a meeting with a struggling Club América in the next phase.

FC Cincinnati also impressed, thumping Dominican side O&M FC with Ayoub Jabarri scoring twice. The Orange and Blue will next face a Tigres UANL side searching for form.

Not every MLS entrant left the midweek slate brimming with confidence. Vancouver Whitecaps battled to a 0-0 draw away to Costa Rica’s Cartaginés, creating the contest’s only clear chances but still facing a decisive second leg at BC Place. LA Galaxy, meanwhile, return home level at 1-1 with Panamanian club Sporting San Miguelito after Joseph Paintsil canceled out an early concession. The Galaxy, desperate to regain momentum after a disappointing 2023 campaign, dominated possession and attacking sequences but could not find a winner on the plastic pitch of Estadio Rommel Fernández.

Copa Libertadores: Colombian clubs strike first

Across the equator in South America’s premier competition, Colombia’s representatives mirrored MLS’s early success. Independiente Medellín snatched a 2-1 home victory over Uruguay’s Liverpool thanks to Hayen Palacios’ stoppage-time winner, while Deportes Tolima ground out a 1-0 success at Deportivo Táchira despite generating roughly double the scoring opportunities. Venezuelan side Carabobo also protected home soil with a 1-0 win, and Paraguay’s 2 de Mayo and Peru’s Sporting Cristal played to a 2-2 stalemate featuring a pair of own goals.

Brazilian sides, by contrast, face uphill climbs after their first-leg road assignments. Bahia fell 1-0 to Chile’s O’Higgins, who scored early and entrenched themselves behind the ball, while Botafogo succumbed by the same scoreline to Nacional Potosí in Bolivia’s high altitude. Potosí’s midfield dictated proceedings and fired 25 shots, though the return leg in Rio de Janeiro should present a very different challenge.

Argentinos Juniors edged Ecuador’s Barcelona SC 1-0 despite finishing a man down, and Juventud and Guaraní played to a scoreless draw in the remaining second-round fixtures.

With both CONCACAF and CONMEBOL competitions promising expanded slots in FIFA’s proposed 48-team 2029 Club World Cup, strong early performances carry added incentive. Clubs that navigate their current knockout rounds will not only move one step closer to regional silverware but also enhance their chances of securing a lucrative berth on the global stage.

Second-leg action kicks off next week, when LAFC and company look to formalize passage into the round of 16 and Colombian sides attempt to protect slim advantages on hostile turf.

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