Two years ago, Daniel Krutzen hung up his cleats.
But as the 29-year-old central defender from Brunssum, Netherlands, remained close to the game, working as a player agent since his retirement following the 2023 season, the desire to lace them back up grew ever stronger.
As he stayed in touch with his former Forge teammates and manager Bobby Smyrniotis, they began to sense Krutzen might be thinking about a comeback. He publicly confirmed those suspicions on Dec. 23, signing a multi-year deal with the Hamilton club.
"I think the best answer is because I missed the game too much," Krutzen told CPLSoccer.com of his return. "Forge was the first club to give me a chance to play professionally, the relationships with everyone there are still amazing. So it was always going to be Forge."
Now, he finds himself preparing for some of the biggest games of his professional career: a Concacaf Champions Cup clash with regional superpower Tigres UANL. The first leg is on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Hamilton Stadium (7 p.m. ET on OneSoccer).
It is a baptism by fire for Krutzen as he makes his return to professional football. Steeling himself for it has already begun during the club's training camp, presented by WestJet, which kicked off on Jan. 6. The first week for Krutzen, he says, was just about surviving. That included a little setback, which forced him to take it easy for a few days. Ever since then, however, he has been feeling great. By all accounts, out of the Forge camp, he has been looking the part as well.
"We went to Mexico for 10 days, played three games over there, playing some good minutes against some good teams," said Krutzen. "And, yeah, I feel really good."
Concacaf competition has brought with it some incredible memories for Krutzen during his 13 appearances in the now-defunct Concacaf League. On Aug. 1, 2019, he scored the equalizer for Forge in their first-ever Concacaf match, a 2-1 win in Hamilton over Antigua GFC. The following year, he scored a stoppage-time penalty in Panama City to help Forge stun Tauro FC. Then, in 2021, he helped Forge qualify for their first Concacaf Champions Cup.
But that 2021 Concacaf League run ended in heartbreak for the central defender. In the first leg of their semifinal against Honduran club Motagua, just five minutes before the half, Krutzen suffered an ACL injury that kept him out for the next ten months. It was largely the lingering impact of that injury which led to Krutzen's retirement two years later.
As a result, Krutzen missed Forge's first appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Cruz Azul in February 2022. He was, however, in attendance for the first leg at Hamilton Stadium, a night he fondly recalls despite Forge's 1-0 loss.
"I just remember the atmosphere was crazy," said Krutzen. "Obviously, it was freezing, but that's what you get in February in Hamilton."
Krutzen missed most of that 2022 season, coming back briefly for two games in September before suffering a head injury that kept him out for a further four weeks. But all that trial and tribulation came with a happy ending. Back for that year's playoffs, he captained Forge to a 2-0 CPL Final victory over Atlético Ottawa in the nation's capital.
"Honestly, it was a crazy year looking back," said Krutzen. "It just makes for a great story."
Following that, he departed Forge for Phoenix Rising, winning a USL Championship in 2023. The final, on November 12, 2023, a dramatic victory on penalties over the Charleston Battery — Krutzen actually missed his attempt — is the last professional match he played.
That brings us to Tuesday, and the chance to make a Champions Cup debut many years in the making. It comes against a club in which Krutzen has been steeped in the lore. During his time at the University of Albany, he had a teammate from Mexico who was a massive fan of Tigres. He was always wearing a Tigres kit around campus and talking about its latest matches.
"It's really like a full circle moment," said Krutzen. "It's kind of crazy that you get a chance to play against one of the biggest teams in North America."
The fact that it all begins on Tuesday, at a stadium where he has so many special memories, only adds to the occasion.
"I can't even describe how excited I am playing in front of the fans again," said Krutzen. "They're always so, so amazing when we play at home. Obviously, it's going to be cold, so I still hope they'll come out in big numbers, because we'll need it.
"Playing in Hamilton Stadium is going to be very nostalgic, and I can't wait."
