Match Thread: CONCACAF League - Quarter-Final - Leg 2: Forge FC v Santos de Guápiles (Costa Rica) - November 2, 2021

[narduch]

Game is at 8pm ET on One Soccer.

Santos won the 1st leg 3-1.

If Forge fail to advance they could still qualify for the Concacaf Champions League if they are the 6th best Quarter Finalist. Current standings:

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by narduch

[Ansem]

We need Montague to win again or hold Marothon to a tie if we lose or tie

[gator]

I hope Forge can turn this tie around, there may not be a lot of motivation for Santos on a cold night in The Hammer having already qualified for Champions League, I don't trust Montague to not help out their fellow Hondurans in a match that kicks off after the Forge match!

[narduch]

Santos are bringing all their starters from the first leg. So they are taking it seriously.

 

[narduch]

American ref crew 

 

[Pottsy3]

If Johnny Grant still isn't available tonight, I wonder if we see Tissot get a run out at fullback. I'd imagine Dom, Krutzen, Kwame are all locked into the backline. It's just whether Grant is healthy, or else it's between Tissot/Metusala (or maybe AAJ)

Woobens hasn't gotten many chances lately since Browne came in, but I think we could really use his size up-front. Just so many options in the front three, at least four in the group will be on the bench out of the group of Borges, Babouli, Welshman, Pacius, Browne, Navarro, Choiniere.

Cisse has been in massive form lately, and I hope that can carry over to this match. Can't imagine we make any changes to the midfield three.

 

If I were to hazard a guess, I think Forge will start:

    Babouli - Welshman - Borges

      Achiniotti - Bekker - Cisse

Awuah - Krutzen - Samuel - Tissot

                     Henry

 

Hoping for another exciting match today, could be a very large one in the grand scheme of things, bring your voices.

[gator]

1 hour ago, Pottsy3 said:

If Johnny Grant still isn't available tonight, I wonder if we see Tissot get a run out at fullback. I'd imagine Dom, Krutzen, Kwame are all locked into the backline. It's just whether Grant is healthy, or else it's between Tissot/Metusala (or maybe AAJ)

Woobens hasn't gotten many chances lately since Browne came in, but I think we could really use his size up-front. Just so many options in the front three, at least four in the group will be on the bench out of the group of Borges, Babouli, Welshman, Pacius, Browne, Navarro, Choiniere.

Cisse has been in massive form lately, and I hope that can carry over to this match. Can't imagine we make any changes to the midfield three.

 

If I were to hazard a guess, I think Forge will start:

    Babouli - Welshman - Borges

      Achiniotti - Bekker - Cisse

Awuah - Krutzen - Samuel - Tissot

                     Henry

 

Hoping for another exciting match today, could be a very large one in the grand scheme of things, bring your voices.

I agree with most of that, I think Browne starts in the front 3 and Cisse maintains his place at RB, he has played really well there, if that is the case then I think Borges plays out of the midfield, for some reason I was thinking Samuel was suspended due to card accumulation, if so Metusala steps in! This will be another exciting night at THF, Santos looked better than us in the first leg, hopefully home field, the weather and Babouli's return are enough to turn this tie around!

[gator]

A preview on tonight's match, Dom Samuel is in fact suspended:

https://forgefc.canpl.ca/article/preview-forge-fc-vs-santos-de-guapiles-leg-2-concacaf-league

[Unnamed Trialist]

On a CPL news feed came across this article from the Costa Rica press, referring to Navarro-s form on Forge, the quality of the team and its play and good home record in Hamiliton, and the cold weather, where they say their sponsor provided them with all the gear they needed to deal with it upon arrival at the airport in Toronto. You can do a translate if interested.

https://columbia.co.cr/deportes/futbol-nacional/38018-a-2-centigrados-el-otro-rival-del-santos-ademas-del-forge-del-humedo-calor-caribeno-al-frio-que-cala-huesos

[narduch]

 

[Big_M]

WOW...michael umana at right back at 39...gotta really go at him first fifteen minutes to see if he can hold up...looks like he got a red card in the weekend

[Aird25]

They're going to need quite a performance to turn this one around, but I think they could pull it off at home

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Those Costa Ricans look visibly uncomfortable in the lineup

[jonovision]

Interesting test case for the idea that Central Americans will struggle in the cold ahead of the Edmonton matches. I don't think it will be a huge factor. Of course, Santos are probably a better team than Forge, so even if they struggle with the weather they may still get a result.

Edited November 3, 2021 by jonovision

[Big_M]

1 hour ago, Big_M said:

WOW...michael umana at right back at 39...gotta really go at him first fifteen minutes to see if he can hold up...looks like he got a red card in the weekend

they are correctly doing that...lots of attacks on his side but lots of balls lost and wasted...keep going on that side

[Big_M]

bekker take that

[narduch]

Wow Browne 

[Cheeta]

What a goal.  What a goal.

[Big_M]

OH WHAT STRIKE BROWNE

[narduch]

I guess if you are going to wear 99 in Canada you have to score goals like that 

[narduch]

Looks like Santos isn't going to park the bus anymore 

Edited November 3, 2021 by narduch

[Big_M]

and where did that ball come from? left side as usual...keep going boys

[grasshopper1917]

Wow maybe the goal of the year? Incredible strike (even though its forge  lol).

[narduch]

 

[Cheeta]

4 minutes ago, narduch said:

Looks like Santos isn't going to park the bis anymore 

Bit scary there for a moment but all said, good!  Looks like it'll be a fun watch if they do and exactly what Forge need for a 2nd.