🔬 The Debrief on opening night action in Leagues Cup 2024 | OneFootball

Leagues Cup 2024 kicked off with a bang Friday evening as 10 teams from five different groups were in action. Here is what went down on the first night of the tournament.

What happened

Jul 26, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena (16) reacts after missing a goal against CF Montreal during the second half at INTER&CO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Orlando City got off to a flying start with an emphatic 4-1 victory over CF Montréal thanks to a goal and an assist from star-man Facundo Torres, taking a commanding lead in Group 2.

Meanwhile, D.C. United downed Atlanta United after penalty kicks in a chaotic game at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Atlanta fought back to erase a deficit two separate times, but were ultimately held to just one point on the night thanks to penalty-kick heroics from D.C. keeper Alex Bono.

Down in Texas, the 10-men of Austin FC put on a valiant display in front of their fans to hold off Pumas and collect an opening night victory after new-boy Osman Bukari was sent off in the first half.

Over in Group 6, Seattle took advantage of a late second half Hassani Dotson red-card by scoring two goals to wrap up all three points at Lumen Field.

LAFC rounded off the night with a resounding 3-0 victory over Xolos to kick off their tournament with a bang.

Moment of the night

Hello Cleveland! Stefan Cleveland pulled off a superb save to ensure a gutsy victory for Austin, sparking wild scenes around Q2 Stadium.

Player of the night

It's not often you cap off a seven-minute brace with a stunning goal like this. Take a bow, Jared Stroud!

What this means

Orlando, Atlanta, Austin, Seattle, and LAFC will all finish the night top of their respective groups. However, three-team groups means that one side in every group is yet to play.

As it stands, no Mexican club has picked up any points.

What comes next

Leagues Cup action resumes Saturday with seven more ties. Most notably, Inter Miami will kick off their tournament defense against Puebla in Fort Lauderdale.