HAMILTON - Mexico's CF Monterrey, with a pair of second-half goals, survived difficult conditions to defeat Forge FC 2-0 in the opening leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round series Wednesday.Â
It was minus-six (feeling like minus-11) at kickoff at Hamilton Stadium, formerly known as Tim Hortons Field. Monterrey didn't fly in until Tuesday to escape the cold.Â
The teams can expect far toastier conditions next Tuesday in the return leg at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.
"I told the guys we've got a game in a week and we've got to go get a result. That's the bottom line," said Forge coach and technical director Bobby Smyrniotis.
The weather caused problems with players from both sides slipping and sliding on the slick artificial turf. Forge seemed to have fewer problems adapting, with captain Kyle Bekker wearing a short-sleeve jersey, but still had problems finding its footing.
Monterrey's skill on the ball began to show through and the visitors went ahead in the 53rd minute when Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa, from just outside the penalty box, curled a shot past diving goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat for a valuable away goal. Influential midfielder Oliver Torres, flicking the ball over a defender to himself to keep the attack flowing, and Roberto de la Rosa, with a lay-off for the shot, served as playmakers.
Monterrey doubled its lead in the 66th minute on an elegant free kick that bounced in off the goalpost by Mexican international Jordi Cortizo, who had just entered the game.
Monterrey outshot Forge 19-7 (7-3 in shots on target).
The difference in the two teams was shown in substitutions late in the game. Monterrey brought on 33-year-old Spanish international Sergio Canales while Forge introduced 19-year-old Canadian youth international Khadim Kane.
Smyrniotis thought his players deserved a better fate on the night but lamented missed chances.
The Monterrey defence was torn open midway through the first half with an unmarked Brian Wright, lacking good footing, unable to get a boot to the ball in front of goal.
Tristan Borges tested Monterrey goalkeeper Luis Cardenas with a shot in the 78th minute. Five minutes later, Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson missed a sitter in the 83rd minute, firing the ball wide off a well-aimed cross by Alessandro Hojabrpour.
"When you've got your opportunities, you've got to take them," said Smyrniotis. "And if you don't, you're playing a team in midseason form and they'll take theirs."
Monterrey finished fifth in the Liga MX Apertura and sits 10th in the early days of the Clausura at 1-1-3. It has won the CONCACAF competition five times, most recently in 2021, and made it to last year's semifinals — knocking off Lionel Messi and Inter Miami along the way — before losing 5-2 on aggregate to the Columbus Crew.
The Forge turnover since last season was shown by the fact that its starting 11 featured just five players who started the Canadian Premier League final against Cavalry FC in November: David Choiniere, Achinioti-Jönsson, Hojabrpour, Koleilat and Bekker.
Hojabrpour's return to the team, on a new multi-year contract, was only announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old was nominated for both the CPL Player of the Year award and the league’s Players’ Player of the Year Award last season when he was named to the CPL's Best XI.
New starters included defenders Marko Jevremovic, Dan Nimick and Rezart Rama, and forwards Mo Babouli and Brian Wright (Rama and Babouli are both in their second stints with Forge). Borges who started on the bench in the CPL final, was in Wednesday's starting lineup.
Forge qualified for the Champions Cup by finishing atop the 2024 CPL regular-season standings at 15-8-5. It marks Forge's third appearance in the competition — and sixth in a continental tournament including the now-defunct second-tier CONCACAF League.
Forge lost 5-2 on aggregate to Chivas Guadalajara in last year's Champions Cup and 4-1 to Cruz Azul in its tournament debut in 2022.
Forge made it to the semifinals of the 2021 CONCACAF League, losing to Honduras' Motagua on away goals.
Forge, which does not start the CPL regular season until early April, opened camp Jan. 4 and spent two weeks training in Cancun, Mexico, where it played four friendlies as part of its preparations for cup play.
The 27-team CONCACAF tournament kicked off Tuesday with Mexico's Cruz Azul defeating Haiti's Real Hope FA 2-0 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
CPL champion Cavalry hosts Mexico's Pumas UNAM on Thursday in Langford, B.C.
The Forge-Monterrey winner will face either the Vancouver Whitecaps or Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa in the round of 16. The Cavalry-Pumas winner moves on to play Costa Rica's Alajuelense.
The 2025 champion earns a berth in the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
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This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Feb. 5, 2025
