CONCACAF Champions Cup: Nashville heads home with edge on Ottawa

Field Level Media|published: Tue 17th February, 22:52 2026

Mar 2, 2024; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; The MLS and Apple TV logo patches are seen on the sleeve of a Nashville SC player during the second half against the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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.

--Field Level Media

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