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CPL FINAL, Forge FC vs Cavalry FC, Oct 28 2023, Photo: CHANT
Forge FC ready to take next step in glorious run
February 2, 2024
canadian premier league chivas concacaf CPL forge fc Guadalajara

A little more than three months removed from Forge FC beating Cavalry FC for its fourth Canadian Premier League title in five seasons, the league’s most accomplished club will return home to another raucous crowd on Wednesday. Only this time, the visitors won’t be as familiar to Hamiltonians. But make no mistake, CD Guadalajara (Chivas) is one of the world’s most passionately supported soccer clubs, guaranteeing a truly unique experience for Forge fans during the Concacaf Champions Cup opener at Tim Hortons Field.

The Liga MX club was founded in 1906, making them 112 years older than Forge. They’ve won two Concacaf titles, with the most recent coming in 2018 when they defeated Toronto FC in penalties — one year before Forge played its first-ever match.

Chivas exclusively employs Mexican players, featuring national team regulars like Roberto Alvarado, Érick Gutiérrez, and former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández. Argentine manager and former Real Madrid and Roma midfielder Fernando Gago coach the club.

While Forge is technically still in pre-season mode until their April 13th league opener against Cavalry FC, Chivas began domestic play last month.

Forge may have a brief history, but it makes their accomplishments all the more impressive. They’ve played in every CPL Final since the league’s inception, and this will already be their fifth Concacaf tournament. Forward David Choinière has scored five goals for Forge in continental competitions.

Chivas typically lineup in a 4-3-3 formation, looking to dictate play through Gutiérrez from the holding midfield position. Forge will have to work to limit his time and space and disrupt his distributions up the pitch.

Forge fans won’t have to work hard to familiarize themselves with their club this year, as 21 players on the current roster are returning from 2023. Fans were also treated to the announcement of a major return in the form of Elimane Cissé. The Senegalese midfielder won two titles with Forge before leaving the club in 2022 for Moroccan side Union Touarga.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cissé back to the club,” said Bobby Smyrniotis, Forge’s head coach and sporting director. “His versatile skill set and commitment to excellence epitomize the culture of Forge, and we are eager to see his impact on the pitch once again.”

Midfield will again be a major strength for Forge this year. Cissé will join Kyle Bekker, Alessandro Hojabrpour, Noah Jensen, Kwasi Poku, Khadim Kane, and Sebastian Castello in the trenches. You could add Alex Achinioti-Jönsson to the list, although the versatile Swede figures to spend more time at centreback again this season — especially with the departure of Defender of the Year nominee Manjrekar James to Costa Rican club Alajuelense. Achinioti-Jönsson, interestingly enough, was named Defender of the Year in 2022 after switching positions to compensate for a banged-up backline.

This season will be one of opportunity for Forge’s defence with plenty of minutes up for grabs between Malcolm Duncan, Garven Métusala, Malik Owolabi-Belewu, and Dominic Samuel.

Experience will certainly not be an issue between the sticks. Reigning goalkeeper of the year, Triston Henry is back and ready to build on his legacy as a four-time CPL champion and the all-time clean-sheet leader.

Forge’s front-foot attack will again be led by a bevy of experience and skill. CPL Final heroes Béni Badibanga and Tristan Borges are joined by the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, Terran Campbell, Choinière, Jordan Hamilton, and Kevaughn Tavernier. The latter represented Canada at the international level for the first time last fall as a member of the U-17 national team.

Forge bolstered its attack further this week by adding Ghanaian attacker Nana Opoku Ampomah on a multi-year contract. The 28-year-old spent the last three seasons with Fortuna Düsseldorf of the Bundesliga, Germany’s top-flight league.

“We are excited to have a player as experienced as Nana join the club,” said Smyrniotis. “He is an explosive attacker who has played and contributed across Europe’s top leagues and competitions. His presence on the pitch and ability to generate offence adds a unique dimension to our attack that will surely make an immediate impact.”

Two clubs will represent the CPL in the Concacaf Champions Cup: North Star Cup holders Forge, and Cavalry, the top club in the 2023 regular season. Calvary will face Major League Soccer’s Orlando FC — the first-ever competitive meeting between a CPL club and a team from the United States.

Soon after the conclusion of Wednesday’s match, Forge will travel to Guadalajara for the return leg against Chivas on Feb. 13. The average February temperature in Guadalajara is around 27 degrees Celsius warmer than in Hamilton, so Forge used two weeks of its pre-season program to train in Mexico to get acclimated. Something they didn’t do in 2022 ahead of their Round of 16 Concacaf Champions League second-leg match against Cruz Azul.

Forge announced that available seating has been expanded to include the East Upper Bowl to meet the high ticket demand for Wednesday’s match. Visit forgefc.ca/tickets to secure your seats.