Final Score: CF Monterrey 3-0 Forge FC (5-0 agg.)
Goalscorers: Berterame 20′, 58′; Cortizo 48′
2025 Concacaf Champions Cup
Round One (Leg Two)
Match in a minute or less
A clinical performance from CF Monterrey on Tuesday led to a comfortable 3-0 (5-0 on aggregate) victory over Forge FC at Estadio BBVA in the second leg of their 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup First Round series. Mexican international Germán Berterame’s brace put the tie beyond doubt, while Jordi Cortizo added his second goal in as many matches against Forge off the bench. For a second straight match, Forge had some excellent chances, including Tristan Borges hitting the crossbar in the 12th minute, but were held goalless across two legs in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time. Monterrey now advance to the round of 16 — where they will face the winner of Deportivo Saprissa and the Vancouver Whitecaps, while Forge begin preparations for the Canadian Premier League season, which kicks off on Apr. 5.
Three Observations
Monterrey’s stars make the difference during dominant second leg performance
When CF Monterrey revealed their starting eleven on Tuesday, it became instantly clear just how seriously they were taking the second leg — and not wanting to leave any doubt of their advancement in this competition. This was particularly true in attack, where Monterrey started key attackers: striker Germán Berterame, winger Jésus Manuel Corona and the club’s star attacking midfielder Sergio Canales. From the opening whistle, the class and quality of the Mexican giants was on full display, as Monterrey’s key players were the difference makers on Tuesday night. “We’ve played maybe a top three club in the continent,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “This is a team that has won this championship before, and is at the top of Mexican football all around. So you see the starting lineup, and you know they’re taking the match very seriously.” Canales pulled the strings during a dominant first half, as the Spanish international demonstrated his incredible class drifting all over the pitch to create chances — particularly in central areas. He finished the opening half with an assist, three chances created, and 47 of 51 passes completed — also forcing a good save from Jassem Koleilat on what would have been a stunning goal from outside the box. His pièce de résistance, however, came on the opening goal where he played an incredible ball onto the head of Berterame from a free kick just inside the Forge half. For Forge, it was the sixth set piece goal they conceded in their six Concacaf Champions Cup appearances.
Even after Canales was removed at half-time, Monterrey showed how much depth of quality they have early in the second half. Fellow Spaniard Óliver Torres came off the bench and picked up a pair of assists, including a perfectly weighted through ball to Berterame in the 58th minute for the Mexican’s brace. He also set up fellow substitute Jordi Cortizo ten minutes earlier as he again made an instant impact off the bench. Oh, and new signing Sergio Ramos watched all of this unfold from his suite high in Estadio BBVA. Monterrey are a monster club in world football, and that was on clear display on Tuesday night.
Forge run out of energy during series of ‘what if’ chances missed over two legs
How things could have been so different if, after some excellent dribbling to get himself open, Tristan Borges’ thunderous strike in the 12th minute on Tuesday night had been underneath the bar instead of hitting it. Score that, and all of a sudden there is doubt in the minds of a Monterrey team who are already not in the best form in their domestic league. The same could have been said of some of the missed chances in the first leg, where Forge could have easily taken a lead in the series. Instead, they will step off the pitch at Estadio BBVA wondering what could have been if only they had been a little bit more clinical over the two legs. “We had a lot of chances in the first game, in the first half, and then today, early on, with the crossbar, and you need them to go in,” said Smyrniotis. “Because you know that they’re going to have opportunities in the match. And like I said, the margin of error is very small.” Those misses in the first leg in particular ultimately left Forge with too much to do in the heat in Mexico on Tuesday night. Knowing that they needed to prevent further goals from a talented Monterrey side in order to have any chance in the second leg, they were forced to sit rather deep defensively and try to limit the chances Rayados created. As a result, when Forge won the ball back they often lacked both the attacking outlets and the energy to get forward in any sort of threatening numbers. Borges and Choinière, in particular, did a good job of trying to hold the ball up and create opportunities for teammates. But often they were easily isolated and then dispossessed. It would be easy to leave Tuesday’s match highlighting the differences in payroll, form and history between the two clubs. But as they exit their third Concacaf Champions Cup Forge isn’t particularly interested in any of that, they will be bitterly disappointed that they couldn’t make more noise over the two legs. “We play to win,” said Smyrniotis. “We play to play our brand of football, because I think that’s important. I think it’s important coming to Mexico to try to play your brand of football, because it’s an advertisement for our team in this region. So we have to continue doing that. But yeah, we’re not content with just being here.” Now, as they always do, Forge will turn their attention towards getting back to this competition in 2026: either as the Canadian Premier League’s regular season winners again, its playoff champions for a fifth time or a coveted Canadian Championship title.
Another special opportunity for young Canadian players on the region’s biggest stage
It is a moment that might serve as a footnote in the overall game story of Tuesday’s contest. But in the 71st minute, Forge made a triple substitution, bringing on 21-year-old Maxime Filion, 20-year-old Amadou Koné and 19-year-old Khadim Kane. But it was yet another important example of this competition offering unforgettable experiences for young Canadian players through the Canadian Premier League. These are now benchmark moments for them to build on in their fledgling careers. “They’re part of the future, first and foremost, so it’s important that they have that stimulus,” said Smyrniotis. “But they don’t step on the field because it’s a nice story or anything. They step on the field because they earn it. They’ve been excellent through this period of pre-season, and they’re going to be an important part of what we’re doing going forward.” Over the two legs, Filion, in particular, impressed. A commanding and confident striker, he adapted incredibly quickly to this high level, with good aggressive movement and runs and some quality chances created. After being taken 15th overall in this year’s CPL-U SPORTS Draft out of Université de Montréal, he could end up being an important addition for Forge this season. “That’s what we saw when those substitutions came in, they gave us a little bit more energy, gave us three to four good opportunities to the goal,” said Smyrniotis. The examples of the importance of these opportunities are plentiful over the years for the Hamilton club. Kwasi Poku made his professional debut against Cruz Azul in the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup. Noah Jensen did the same a few days later at the Estadio Azteca. Last year, 17-year-old Kevaughn Tavernier scored at Estadio Akron against Chivas Guadalajara. What may seem like footnotes now could be monumental moments for any one of these players down the road as they continue to develop both with Forge FC, and potentially beyond.
CanPL.ca Pla****yer of the Match
Germán Berterame, CF Monterrey
With a pair of top-class finishes, the Mexican international striker put the series beyond any doubt in just 62 minutes of action.
What’s next?
CF Monterrey advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, where they will face the winners of Deportivo Saprissa and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Forge FC, meanwhile, have been eliminated from the competition. They kick off the 2025 Canadian Premier League season when they host rivals Cavalry FC on Saturday, Apr. 5. 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.