Final Score: Forge FC 0-2 CF Monterrey
Goalscorers: Deossa 54′, Cortizo 66′
2025 Concacaf Champions Cup
Round One (Leg One)
Match in a minute or less
CF Monterrey took a commanding lead in the first leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup first-round tie against Forge FC on Wednesday night, winning 2-0 on a freezing cold night in Hamilton. It was a tight game for most of the evening, scoreless at halftime despite a few golden opportunities for Forge. In the second half, however, Monterrey appeared to get more comfortable with the conditions, and less than 10 minutes after the interval they finally broke the deadlock. Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa opened the scoring as he curled a shot from the top of the penalty area, just evading the reach of Forge ‘keeper Jassem Koleilat — though he may have gotten a fingertip to it — and scoring in the top corner. Not long after, Rayados doubled their advantage as Jordi Cortizo, seconds after entering as a substitute, delivered an outstanding free kick from just outside the top of the semi-circle off the goalpost and in. The two sides will now head down to Mexico for next week’s second leg, where Forge will be tasked with trying to overturn the two-goal deficit on the road.
Three Observations
Forge rue missed chances as outstanding first half goes unrewarded
Forge FC know all too well by this point that when playing an opponent of Monterrey’s calibre, you rarely have more than a couple of chances — and if you don’t capitalize, you’re bound to be stung eventually. Such was the case on Wednesday night, as Forge came out flying in the first half, looking to play aggressively with vertical balls and play up the wings, via fullbacks Rezart Rama and Marko Jevremovic. Steadily, they got closer and closer to goal, as they began connecting passes — not at all an easy feat on the unpredictable frozen pitch — and a few players challenged the Rayados goal. David Choinière got in alone on the goalkeeper in the 13th minute, but the tough angle from the side of the six-yard box made it hard to finish. Tristan Borges had a chance from out side the box on his weaker right foot, and his shot did take an odd bounce off the turf on the way through, but it wasn’t as dangerous as he’d have wanted. The best chance of them all, though, was Brian Wright’s in the 30th minute. Rama had made a brilliant marauding run from deep on the pitch, seemingly out of nowhere, to arrive on the end of a short pass into the box, and he drove to the end line before squaring it across the yawning goalmouth. It rolled between two Monterrey defenders to where Wright was, but the striker couldn’t get either foot on the ball and it trickled between his legs harmlessly. Alex Achinioti-Jönsson’s chance at the back post came in different context deep in the second half, after Forge were already 2-0 down, but he too was frustrated to miss a chance he certainly should have scored — and perhaps would have if he’d been in mid-season form. Still, the positives were there. This was the first of Forge’s three home matches against Liga MX opposition where they’ve gotten to halftime without conceding, but considering the run of the first half they were unhappy not to be ahead. “[I’m] happy and proud with a performance, but just upset that they deserve more as players, for the performance in difficult conditions for both teams,” Forge coach Bobby Smyrniotis said postmatch. “When you look at the first half, the opportunities were there; we created them, we played some excellent football to create. … That’s the disappointment that we come out with, they deserve a lot more from this match. But it’s two quality moments of the opponent, and that’s what you’ve got to be careful of. You’ve got to take your chances in these games.” Forge definitely demonstrated that they can go toe-to-toe with a more experienced Mexican team in midseason form (and with a much higher payroll, of course). However, it’s a match they’ll leave feeling frustrated, knowing how close they were to a historic result.
Monterrey warm up to icy conditions, prove quality in second half
With a field-level temperature of around minus-10 degrees Celsius with windchill, conditions were always going to be a factor on Wednesday. All but one of the 22 starting players (Forge captain Kyle Bekker being the exception) played with long sleeves and gloves, and the snow pushed against the walls in each end of the pitch told a story of how the weather had been in Hamilton over the weekend. The most noticeable effect, though, was the pitch. The turf in Hamilton was cold and icy, and players on both sides had trouble finding their footing — they frequently had to finish runs with tiny, cautious steps, to avoid slipping. The ball was unpredictable too; its movement off the pitch was occasionally wild if it skidded or had top-spin, and the cold weather will have had a deflating effect on it. In the first half, it looked like Forge were better prepared for the conditions. They had trained on the field the day prior, while Monterrey chose not to, and their attacking game plan seemed better suited, with more vertical balls for players to run onto with runway to keep their footing — although multiple Forge players did still have trouble with the surface; both Wright and Choinière slipped a few times chasing the ball into the final third, as did Alex Achinioti-Jönsson in his own half. After halftime, though, Monterrey seemed to find their footing — in some senses, literally. They made one change at halftime, bringing the veteran Hector Moreno off for Jorge Rodríguez (a natural midfielder, who deputized at centre-back excellently). In the second half, they looked more comfortable on the ball, perhaps a little more methodical and deliberate with their movement and their passes to keep the ball and their footing as predictable as possible, which allowed them to elevate the tempo in an instant when necessary. That’s how they created their first goal, with Óliver Torres quickly flicking the ball around Jevremovic; from that trigger moment, they just needed a couple of quick passes before Nelson Deossa whipped it into the top corner. Then of course, the set-piece. Jordi Cortizo had not yet touched the ball on Wednesday — perhaps literally, as the Monterrey substitutes didn’t appear to take part in much of the pregame warmup — when he came into the game and was immediately tasked with taking a free kick. No easy job on the best of days, this was of course made harder by the frigid ball and Hamilton winds. However, Cortizo needed just one touch of his left boot to send it to the right goalpost and in. The two goals were evidence of the quality in a top Liga MX team, and the difference in level between the sides. Monterrey were always likely to produce a moment or two like that, and once Forge failed to take charge in the first half, this is what happened.
Forge integrate newcomers well in high-stakes debuts, unveil new attacking patterns
Unlike last year’s Concacaf Champions Cup opener, where Forge fielded an XI comprised entirely of returning players, there was a markedly new look to the team that started this game. Bobby Smyrniotis opted to include five of his new off-season additions in the starting lineup: Dan Nimick at centre-back, Marko Jevremovic and Rezart Rama as his full-backs, and Mo Babouli and Brian Wright together in the front line. Of course, both Rama and Babouli have played for the club before, but such a heavily-changed team from the one that ended 2024 meant a considerably different Forge. The most immediately notable difference was up front, where Wright functioned as a traditional number nine in a profile that Forge have rarely had over the past few years. The imposing former York United striker was crucial to Forge’s attacking play in the first half, frequently occupying the attention of both Monterrey centre-backs, Antonio Leone and Hector Moreno — the latter a veteran of four FIFA World Cups. He stretched the game with his runs, preventing the visitors from moving their defensive line high up the pitch. Wright also used his strong frame to hold the ball up with his back to goal, allowing Forge’s other attackers and midfielders to make runs off him. That’s an attacking element Forge didn’t have toward the end of last season, which cost them dearly; having Wright in that spot this year could mean a lot more shots in dangerous areas. The only part of Wright’s game he’ll be disappointed by is that he left at least one goal on the table with his missed chances in the box. Nimick also looked comfortable in his Forge debut, leading the whole game with 86 touches and 63 successful passes (88 per cent accuracy). He played seven accurate long balls, showcasing one of his greatest skills, and he made four clearances and five interceptions, helping take care of most of Monterrey’s ventures into the penalty area. However, Forge’s best player on the night was arguably Rama, who played a critical role in the attack with his energy, bravery and willingness to get into the attack. He made four tackles and won six duels, often helping create numerical advantages in the final third by running so high up to join the attack and create overlaps. “[Rama] is a bold player, and he knows when to take those moments,” Smyrniotis said postmatch. “There’s moments you see him playing in a striker’s role around the goal, and you’ll see that throughout his time here, but he knows when to pick those moments. That’s the discussion we have, but you need his energy.” Once all of these newcomers have a few games under their belt together in the Canadian Premier League season, this Forge team could be scary.
CanPL.ca Pla****yer of the Match
Óliver Torres, CF Monterrey
The Spanish midfielder, formerly of Atlético Madrid, Porto and Sevilla, was outstanding for Rayados on the day, particularly with his flick move to get around Jevremovic shortly before the first goal. Torres covered a lot of ground, and made five key passes, three accurate long balls, and three successful dribbles, winning four duels in his 64 minutes of work.
What’s next?
These sides will meet again for the second leg at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey next Tuesday, Feb. 11 (8 p.m. ET). Watch the Concacaf Champions Cup live on OneSoccer. For a full list of what games will be available in round one, click here. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.