2025 Forge FC season

Forge FC
2025 season
ChairmanBob Young
Head coachBobby Smyrniotis
StadiumHamilton Stadium[a]
Canadian Premier League2nd
Canadian ChampionshipQuarterfinals
CONCACAF Champions CupRound one
Top goalscorerLeague: Brian Wright (7 goals)
All: Brian Wright (8 goals)
Highest home attendance17,971 vs. Atlético Ottawa
(May 13, CPL)
Lowest home attendance3,064 vs. CF Montréal
(May 20, CC)
Average home league attendance7,853
Biggest win5–0 vs. Valour FC
(Away, June 22, CPL)
Biggest defeat0–3 vs. C.F. Monterrey
(Away, February 11, CCC)

The 2025 Forge FC season is the seventh season in the history of Forge FC and the club's seventh season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top flight in Canadian soccer. Forge are the defending CPL Shield winners, having finished first in the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.

In addition to the Canadian Premier League, the club is competing in the Canadian Championship and also played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Review

Background

Forge FC entered the 2025 Canadian Premier League season as the reigning regular season winners after having finished first and claiming the CPL Shield in the 2024 season.[3] This was the club's second regular season title and sixth trophy in six years, continuing their dynasty.[4] In the CPL playoffs, Forge advanced to the 2024 CPL final where they were defeated by rival side Cavalry FC, finishing as runner-up.[5]

The Hammers are also competing in the 2025 Canadian Championship, a domestic cup organized by the Canadian Soccer Association. In the 2024 edition, Forge defeated MLS side CF Montréal in the quarter-final.[6] They were knocked out in the semi-final by Toronto FC, losing on away goals after tying 2–2 on aggregate.[7]

Forge qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as 2024 CPL regular season winners.[3][8] This was Forge's third appearance in the competition and second appearance in a row. In the 2024 edition, Forge faced Mexican side C.D. Guadalajara in round one, losing 5–2 on aggregate.[9]

Head coach and sporting director Bobby Smyrniotis returned for his seventh season with the club after signing a four-year contract extension in 2023.[10][11]

Preseason

On November 21, 2024, CF Montréal declined its 2025 contract option on Forge loanee Matteo Schiavoni, ending his time with the Hammers;[12] Forge later confirmed this in a December roster update.[13] On December 16, Dominic Samuel and Forge together announced that the defender was leaving the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the year.[14]

On December 12, 2024, Forge announced that Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, Nana Ampomah, David Choinière, Elimane Cissé, Noah Jensen, and Khadim Kane all had guaranteed contracts through the 2025 season. The club later announced that it had triggered contract options for the 2025 season for Béni Badibanga,[15] Christopher Kalongo,[16] Jassem Koleilat,[17] Malik Owolabi-Belewu,[18] and Orlendis Benítez.[19] Forge also triggered its 2025 loan option for Daniel Parra from C.F. Monterrey.[20] Malcolm Duncan, Jordan Hamilton, Victor Klonaridis, Terran Campbell, Garven Metusala, and Sebastian Castello all departed the club.[21]

Forge opened its preseason in Hamilton in early January before traveling to Cancun for two weeks of training.[22] While there, the Hammers played friendlies against Liga Premier club Inter Playa del Carmen and MLS club Orlando City SC.[23][24] Béni Badibanga was absent from the team during this period as he navigated a contract dispute.[25][26]

CONCACAF Champions Cup

Forge drew Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in round one of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[27][28] The match was noteworthy due to Monterrey's connection with York United FC, Forge's rival in the 905 Derby.[29] It was set to pit Forge loanee Daniel Parra against his parent club, Monterrey;[29] however, Parra transferred to Atlético Morelia just days before the tie's first leg.[30]

Forge hosted Monterrey in the tie's first leg on February 5, looking to secure the club's first ever win in Champions Cup play.[31] In freezing conditions producing slippery turf, Monterrey scored two second half goals while Forge failed to capitalize on their chances, resulting in a 2–0 win for Rayados.[32][33] The Hammers were without Malik Owolabi-Belewu (personal reasons), Béni Badibanga (contract dispute), and Elimane Cissé (injury).[34]

In the return leg a week later in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Monterrey scored three unanswered goals to take a 3–0 win, eliminating Forge 5–0 on aggregate. Forge's best chance in the match came in the first half when Tristan Borges hit the crossbar, but the Hammers were ultimately unable to score. This was the third time Forge were eliminated in their opening Champions Cup tie.[35][36]

Canadian Championship

Forge began its Canadian Championship campaign on May 7 with an all-CPL match at home in the preliminary round against HFX Wanderers FC.[37] The match came only four days after the two teams played to a scoreless draw in Halifax in league play.[37] Molham Babouli scored a brace and Forge benefitted from a Halifax own goal to defeat the Wanderers 3–1.[38] The win advanced Forge to the quarterfinals and a matchup against CF Montréal.[38]

On May 20, Forge hosted MLS side CF Montréal in Hamilton for the first leg of the quarterfinal tie.[39] This was the fifth consecutive year these two teams faced each other in the Canadian Championship, with Forge having eliminated Montreal in the previous year's tournament.[39] After Forge dominated the game's first half but were unable to take a lead, Brian Wright scored in the 78th-minute off of a long pass from Nana Ampomah to lift Forge to a 1–0 win.[40][41] The teams will play the tie's second leg in Montreal on July 9.[40][41]

Current squad

As of July 6, 2025[42]

No. Name Nationality Position(s) Date of birth (age) Previous club Notes
Goalkeepers
1 Jassem Koleilat GK (1999-07-30) July 30, 1999 Los Angeles FC 2
29 Christopher Kalongo GK (2002-01-07) January 7, 2002 Sigma FC
36 Dino Bontis GK (2004-08-03) August 3, 2004 Western Mustangs U21, U Sports
42 Emmanuel Marmolejo GK (2007-06-14) June 14, 2007 Sigma FC U21, DEV
Defenders
3 Marko Jevremović DF (1996-02-23) February 23, 1996 Athens Kallithea F.C. INT
5 Daniel Nimick DF (2000-09-22) September 22, 2000 HFX Wanderers FC
24 Rezart Rama DF (2000-12-04) December 4, 2000 KF Egnatia INT
81 Malik Owolabi-Belewu DF (2002-07-03) July 3, 2002 S.P.A.L.
Midfielders
6 Ben Paton MF (2000-05-05) May 5, 2000 Ross County
8 Elimane Cissé MF (1995-03-12) March 12, 1995 Diambars FC
10 Kyle Bekker MF (1990-09-02) September 2, 1990 North Carolina FC
13 Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson MF (1996-04-17) April 17, 1996 IFK Värnamo
16 Khadim Kane MF (2005-05-17) May 17, 2005 CF Montréal U23 U21
21 Alessandro Hojabrpour MF (2000-01-10) January 10, 2000 Pacific FC
22 Noah Jensen MF (1999-07-20) July 20, 1999 Oakland University
28 Keito Lipovschek MF (2005-04-03) April 3, 2005 Fleetwood United U21
32 Zayne Bruno MF (2007-01-23) January 23, 2007 Sigma FC U21, EYT
Forwards
7 David Choinière FW (1997-02-07) February 7, 1997 Montreal Impact
9 Brian Wright FW (1995-03-24) March 24, 1995 York United FC
11 Nana Opoku Ampomah FW (1996-01-02) January 2, 1996 Fortuna Düsseldorf INT
12 Maxime Filion FW (2003-04-13) April 13, 2003 Montreal Carabins U Sports
17 Hoce Massunda FW (2005-06-19) June 19, 2005 Sigma FC U21
18 Molham Babouli FW (1993-01-02) January 2, 1993 York United FC
19 Tristan Borges FW (1998-08-26) August 26, 1998 OH Leuven
39 Béni Badibanga FW (1996-02-19) February 19, 1996 RAAL La Louvière INT
41 Amadou Koné FW (2005-01-28) January 28, 2005 Carleton Ravens U21, U Sports

Contracts and transfers

New contracts

No. Pos. Player Contract details Date Source
10 MF Kyle Bekker Multi-year contract (length undisclosed) January 9, 2025 [43]
19 FW Tristan Borges Multi-year contract (length undisclosed) January 15, 2025 [44]
21 MF Alessandro Hojabrpour Multi-year contract (length undisclosed) February 4, 2025 [45]
32 MF Zayne Bruno Development contract (length undisclosed) February 4, 2025 [46]
41 FW Amadou Koné Short-term contract (length undisclosed) February 4, 2025 [46]
12 FW Maxime Filion U Sports contract April 3, 2025 [47]
41 FW Amadou Koné U Sports contract April 3, 2025 [47]
32 MF Zayne Bruno Exceptional Young Talent contract (length undisclosed) April 4, 2025 [48]
17 FW Hoce Massunda Standard player contract (length undisclosed) April 4, 2025 [48]

In

Transferred in

No. Pos. Player From club Fee/notes Date Source
9 FW Brian Wright York United FC Free January 8, 2025 [49]
5 DF Daniel Nimick HFX Wanderers FC Free January 21, 2025 [50]
18 FW Molham Babouli York United FC Free January 23, 2025 [51]
24 DF Rezart Rama KF Egnatia Free January 28, 2025 [52]
3 DF Marko Jevremović Athens Kallithea F.C. Free January 31, 2025 [53]
23 MF Keito Lipovschek Fleetwood United Free February 4, 2025 [46]
6 MF Ben Paton Ross County Free February 4, 2025 [46]
42 GK Emmanuel Marmolejo Sigma FC Development contract February 4, 2025 [46]
17 FW Hoce Massunda Sigma FC Short-term contract (length undisclosed) February 4, 2025 [46]
12 FW Maxime Filion Montreal Carabins Short-term contract (length undisclosed) February 4, 2025 [46]
36 GK Dino Bontis Western Mustangs U Sports contract April 3, 2025 [47]

Loaned in

No. Pos. Player From club Fee/notes Date Source
17 DF Daniel Parra Monterrey Season-long loan[b] January 1, 2025 [20][54]

Draft picks

Forge FC made two selections in the 2025 CPL–U Sports Draft on December 5, 2024.[55][56] Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster; only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in.

Round Selection Pos. Player Nationality University
1 7 MF Paul Ekwueme  Canada McMaster
2 15 FW Maxime Filion  Canada Montréal

Out

No. Pos. Player To club Fee/notes Date Source
14 FW Terran Campbell Vancouver FC Contract expired December 31, 2024 [57][58]
12 FW Sebastian Castello Contract expired December 31, 2024 [57]
2 DF Malcolm Duncan Contract expired December 31, 2024 [20][59]
9 FW Jordan Hamilton Contract expired December 31, 2024 [57]
27 FW Victor Klonaridis PAS Lamia 1964 Contract expired December 31, 2024 [60][61]
23 DF Garven Metusala Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Contract expired December 31, 2024 [59][20][62]
4 DF Dominic Samuel Contract expired December 31, 2024 [14]
88 MF Matteo Schiavoni Pacific FC Loan ended December 31, 2024 [57]
17 DF Daniel Parra Atlético Morelia Loan ended February 2, 2025 [30]
26 FW Orlendis Benítez Scrosoppi FC Undisclosed Undisclosed[c] [63]

Club

Kits

On January 30, Forge announced WeatherTech Canada as the club's new "front-of-jersey" sponsor.[64]

Forge unveiled its 2025 primary and alternate kits at a supporters event on March 19. The kits continue to be produced by Macron for a seventh consecutive season and are sponsored by WeatherTech for the first time.[65][66]

Supplier: Macron / Sponsor: WeatherTech Canada

Primary
Alternate

Competitions

Matches are listed in Hamilton local time: Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4) from March 9 until November 2, and Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5) otherwise.

Overview

Competition First match Last match Starting round Final position Record
Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
Canadian Premier League April 5 October 18 Matchday 1 13 7 6 0 23 10 +13 053.85
Canadian Championship May 7 Preliminary round 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 100.00
CONCACAF Champions Cup February 5 February 11 Round one Round one 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 000.00
Total 17 9 6 2 27 16 +11 052.94

Last updated: July 5, 2025
Source: Competitions

Canadian Premier League

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Playoff qualification
1 Atlético Ottawa 13 8 4 1 30 15 +15 28 First semifinal and 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup
2 13 7 6 0 23 10 +13 27 First semifinal
3 HFX Wanderers 13 7 3 3 18 13 +5 24 Quarterfinal
4 Cavalry 12 6 3 3 20 11 +9 21 Play-in round
5 York United 13 4 3 6 19 18 +1 15
6 Pacific 13 2 3 8 12 24 −12 9
7 Valour 12 2 2 8 10 29 −19 8
8 Vancouver 13 1 4 8 14 26 −12 7
Updated to match(es) played on July 5, 2025. Source: CanPL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total number of wins; 3) Head-to-head; 4) Goal differential; 5) Goals for; 6) Away goals differential; 7) Away goals for; 8) Home goals differential; 9) Home goals for; 10) Fewest disciplinary points (Yellow cards count for one point and red cards [direct or accumulation of two yellow cards] count as three points); 11) Most under-21 domestic player minutes; 12) Coin toss (tie between two (2) clubs) or drawing of lots (tie between three (3) or more clubs).[67]

Results by match

Match12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
ResultWWDDDDWDWWWDW
Position3133344442232
Updated to match(es) played on July 5. Source: #Matches
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

The Canadian Premier League announced each team's home openers on February 10.[68] The full regular season schedule was released on February 12.[69] Several matches were later rescheduled for broadcasting on TSN in Canada.

April 5 1 Forge FC 1–0 Cavalry FC Hamilton, Ontario
5:30 pm
  • Bruno  48'  72'
  • Babouli 58'
  • Ampomah  90'
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 7,963[70][71]
Referee: Michael Venne
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 4:30 pm.[72]
April 12 2 Pacific FC 0–2 Forge FC Langford, British Columbia
5:00 pm
Report Stadium: Starlight Stadium
Attendance: 3,402[73]
Referee: Sebastian Noshinravani
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 6:00 pm.[74]
April 19 3 Forge FC 1–1 Valour FC Hamilton, Ontario
6:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 4,671[75]
Referee: Yusri Rudolf
April 27 4 York United FC 2–2 Forge FC Toronto, Ontario
2:00 pm
Report
Stadium: York Lions Stadium
Attendance: 1,679[76]
Referee: Scott Bowman
May 3 5 HFX Wanderers FC 0–0 Forge FC Halifax, Nova Scotia
4:00 pm Report
Stadium: Wanderers Grounds
Attendance: 6,104[77]
Referee: Mario Alayass
May 13 6 Forge FC 2–2 Atlético Ottawa Hamilton, Ontario
11:00 am
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 17,971[78][79]
Referee: Yusri Rudolf
May 24 7 Pacific FC 0–1 Forge FC Langford, British Columbia
5:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Starlight Stadium
Attendance: 2,251[80]
Referee: Mathieu Souaré
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 6:00 pm.[74]
May 31 8 Forge FC 1–1 Cavalry FC Hamilton, Ontario
5:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 6,578[81]
Referee: Yusri Rudolf
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 4:00 pm.[82]
June 8 9 Forge FC 2–1 HFX Wanderers FC Hamilton, Ontario
3:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 6,793[83]
Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren
June 15 10 Vancouver FC 0–2 Forge FC Langley, British Columbia
4:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Willoughby Community Park
Attendance: 2,006[84]
Referee: Sebastian Noshinravani
June 22 11 Valour FC 0–5 Forge FC Winnipeg, Manitoba
4:30 pm
Report
Stadium: Princess Auto Stadium
Attendance: 3,323[85]
Referee: Seyed-Mohammad Mohseni
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 4:00 pm.[86][87] Kick-off was delayed half an hour due to a thunderstorm.[88] The match was delayed for almost two hours in the second half due to lightning.[88]
June 29 12 Forge FC 2–2 York United FC Hamilton, Ontario
4:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 6,621[89]
Referee: Michael Venne
July 5 13 Forge FC 2–1 Vancouver FC Hamilton, Ontario
5:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 4,371[90]
Referee: Yusri Rudolf
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 7:00 pm.[91]
July 12 14 Atlético Ottawa v Forge FC Ottawa, Ontario
3:00 pm Stadium: TD Place Stadium
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from July 13 at 3:00 pm.[92]
July 18 15 Forge FC v Pacific FC Hamilton, Ontario
7:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
July 25 16 HFX Wanderers FC v Forge FC Halifax, Nova Scotia
6:00 pm Stadium: Wanderers Grounds
August 2 17 Forge FC v Valour FC Hamilton, Ontario
7:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
August 9 18 York United FC v Forge FC Toronto, Ontario
1:00 pm Stadium: York Lions Stadium
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 2:00 pm.[93]
August 17 19 Forge FC v Atlético Ottawa Hamilton, Ontario
4:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from August 15 at 7:00 pm.[93]
August 22 20 Vancouver FC v Forge FC Langley, British Columbia
10:00 pm Stadium: Willoughby Community Park
August 30 21 Cavalry FC v Forge FC Foothills County, Alberta
4:00 pm Stadium: ATCO Field
September 6 22 Forge FC v HFX Wanderers FC Hamilton, Ontario
4:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
September 12 23 Valour FC v Forge FC Winnipeg, Manitoba
8:00 pm Stadium: Princess Auto Stadium
September 21 24 Atlético Ottawa v Forge FC Ottawa, Ontario
3:00 pm Stadium: TD Place Stadium
September 27 25 Forge FC v Pacific FC Hamilton, Ontario
4:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
October 4 26 Forge FC v Vancouver FC Hamilton, Ontario
4:30 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 5:00 pm.[93]
October 10 27 Cavalry FC v Forge FC Foothills County, Alberta
9:30 pm Stadium: ATCO Field
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 9:00 pm.[93]
October 18 28 Forge FC v York United FC Hamilton, Ontario
4:00 pm Stadium: Hamilton Stadium

Canadian Championship

The draw for the preliminary round and quarterfinals was held on December 12, 2024.[94]

Preliminary round

The preliminary round schedule was announced on February 18.[95]

May 7 Single leg Forge FC 3–1 HFX Wanderers FC Hamilton, Ontario
7:00 pm
Report Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 3,098[96][97]
Referee: Alain Ruch

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals schedule was announced on May 12.[98]

May 20 Leg 1 Forge FC 1–0 CF Montréal Hamilton, Ontario
7:00 pm Report
Stadium: Tim Hortons Field
Attendance: 3,064[96][99]
Referee: Ben Hoskins
July 9 Leg 2 CF Montréal v Forge FC Montreal, Quebec
7:00 pm Stadium: Saputo Stadium

CONCACAF Champions Cup

The CONCACAF Champions Cup draw was held on December 10, 2024, with Forge drawing Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in round one.[27][28] Having qualified as CPL regular season winners, Forge entered the competition in round one and began play in February 2025.[8]

Round one

The round one schedule was announced on December 13, 2024.[100]

February 5 Leg 1 Forge FC 0–2 Monterrey Hamilton, Ontario
8:00 pm Report
Stadium: Hamilton Stadium
Attendance: 5,413[101][102]
Referee: Lukasz Szpala (United States)
February 11 Leg 2 Monterrey 3–0
(5–0 agg.)
Forge FC Guadalupe, Nuevo León
8:00 pm
Report
Stadium: Estadio BBVA
Attendance: 24,630[103][104]
Referee: Walter López Castellanos (Guatemala)

Notes

  1. ^ The Hamilton Sports Group announced that Tim Hortons Field will be renamed with a new rights partner for 2025.[1] The stadium is temporarily referred to as Hamilton Stadium until a permanent name is determined.[2]
  2. ^ Daniel Parra's loan ended on February 2 when he transferred to Atlético Morelia.[30]
  3. ^ Although Forge originally announced on January 3 it had triggered Orlendis Benítez's contract option for the 2025 season,[19] he departed the club and joined Scrosoppi FC on or before April 29.[63]

References

  1. ^ Beattie, Samantha (December 18, 2024). "New name coming for Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton as 10-year agreement ends". CBC News. Archived from the original on December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  2. ^ "Match Preview: Forge FC vs. CF Monterrey (Leg 1) -- 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup". Canadian Premier League. February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2025. opting not to train on the pitch at Hamilton Stadium.
  3. ^ a b Radley, Scott (October 17, 2024). "After first-place finish, Forge FC is chasing CPL history". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Dichter, Myles (October 24, 2024). "Hamilton Forge FC's championship pedigree a model other franchises can only dream of". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on October 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Hall, Vicki (November 9, 2024). "Calgary's Cavalry FC dethrones Hamilton's Forge FC for 1st-ever Canadian Premier League title". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Grigoriadis, Elias (May 22, 2024). "CPL's Forge FC upsets CF Montreal, advances to Canadian Championship semifinal". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Chidley-Hill, John (August 28, 2024). "Forge FC 'made us work for it,' says Toronto FC coach after team beats Hamilton 1-0 in semifinal". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Concacaf confirms important details for 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup" (Press release). Miami, FL: CONCACAF. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "Mexico's Chivas Guadalajara knocks Hamilton's Forge FC out of CONCACAF Champions Cup". CBC News. The Canadian Press. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Forge FC Announce Extension and Expanded Role For Bobby Smyrniotis" (Press release). Forge FC. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Milton, Steve (May 1, 2023). "Forge FC locks in coach Bobby Smyrniotis for four more years". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "Leading scorer Martinez a free agent after CF Montreal declines option". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. November 21, 2024. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "Forge FC announce end-of-season roster updates". Canadian Premier League. December 9, 2024. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Jacques, John (December 16, 2024). "Forge Original Dominic Samuel Departs". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Jacques, John (December 24, 2024). "Forge Triggers Badibanga Option". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on December 24, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "Forge FC Exercises 2025 Option on Goalkeeper Christopher Kalongo". Forge FC. January 2, 2025. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  17. ^ Jacques, John (December 27, 2024). "Forge Triggers Koleilat Option For 2025". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  18. ^ Jacques, John (December 20, 2024). "Forge Triggers Owolabi-Belewu Option". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Forge FC Exercises 2025 Option on Forward Orlendis Benítez". Forge FC. January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d "Forge are making moves: Malcolm Duncan and Garven Metusala have left the club". TrueNorthFoot. January 7, 2025. Archived from the original on January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  21. ^ "Atletico Ottawa adds experience in form of Mexican midfielder Juan (Coque) Castro". Yahoo Sports. The Canadian Press. January 17, 2025. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  22. ^ Jacques, John (January 6, 2025). "Forge Kicks Off Preseason Camp Ahead Of Continental Bout". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  23. ^ Inter Playa del Carmen [@clubinterplayadelcarmen]; (January 24, 2025). "¡Cerramos preparación! 👊🏻 Los playenses de @ligatdp se enfrentaron al @forgefc, equipo que milita en la Liga Premier de Canadá" [We're closing our preparation! 👊🏻 The @ligatdp team from Playa faced @forgefc, a team that plays in the Canadian Premier League.] (in Spanish). Retrieved January 30, 2025 – via Instagram.
  24. ^ Orlando City SC [@orlandocitysc]; (January 28, 2025). "In a fight with @forgefc 🥊". Retrieved January 30, 2025 – via Instagram.
  25. ^ "Beni Badibanga says he terminated his Forge contract for "just cause": The details". True North Foot. January 18, 2025. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  26. ^ Jacques, John (January 19, 2025). "The Curious Case Of Beni Badibanga". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  27. ^ a b Davidson, Neil (December 10, 2024). "Whitecaps to face Costa Rica's Saprissa in CONCACAF Champions Cup". TSN. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Draw Reveals Round One matchups" (Press release). Miami, FL: CONCACAF. December 10, 2024. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Cardenas, Jahir (December 10, 2024). "Dónde juega Forge y por qué enfrentará a Rayados en la Concacaf" [Where Forge plays and why they will face Rayados in Concacaf]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  30. ^ a b c Jacques, John (February 2, 2025). "Daniel Parra Returns To Atletico Morelia". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  31. ^ "Forge hosts Rayados, Real Estelí welcomes Tigres UANL". CONCACAF. February 3, 2025. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  32. ^ "CF Monterrey survives chilly conditions to down Forge in CONCACAF cup play". TSN. Hamilton, ON. The Canadian Press. February 5, 2025. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  33. ^ Parkes, David (February 6, 2025). "Forge 0-2 Monterrey: Rayados Prevail on Icy Pitch". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  34. ^ Jacques, John (February 5, 2025). "Champions Cup Preview: Forge vs CF Monterrey". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  35. ^ "Monterrey cruises to win over Canada's Forge FC, advances in CONCACAF Champions Cup". TSN. Guadalupe, Mexico. The Canadian Press. February 11, 2025. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
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Further reading