World News – CA – Forge FC loses to CD Marathon to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League

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Forge FC’s Scotiabank CONCACAF League long-distance campaign ended on Tuesday with a 1-0 loss to Honduras CD Marathon in a play-in match with a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League.

The game, played on a windy night in an empty Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, marked the Canadian Premier League champions’ second attempt to qualify for the federal elite club competition. They lost their first shot on penalties against Haitian Arcahaie FC in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF League last week.

Forge has one last chance to qualify when it comes to the Canadian Championship final against Toronto FC, slated for the first quarter of 2021.

Marathon turned out to be a tough, physical opponent. And Forge’s frustration on the night turned 85. In a nutshell, when captain Kyle Bekker, CPL Player of the Year, won the marathon in 18th minute because of a sliding duel against Edwin Solano. Minute in the lead, was put on the red card.

Forge coach Bobby Smyrniotis was shown a red card in stoppage time by Guatemalan referee Bryan Lopez.

Honduras was the fourth stop on Forge’s Central American adventure after El Salvador, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Marathon, known as the green monster for its club colors, moved the ball well and was dangerous for set pieces due to its size and captain Allan Banegas’ precise delivery.

Forge and Marathon ended up in the play-in game after losing their quarter-finals last week in the CONCACAF League, a 22-team feeder competition that sent six clubs to the Champions League – the winners of four Quarterfinals and two play-in matches.

Olimpia from Honduras and Alajuelense from Costa Rica, the other quarter-final winners of the CONCACAF League, have also qualified for the Champions League. The final CONCACAF League team to advance will be determined on Wednesday when Honduran club FC Motagua face Nicaragua’s Real Esteli in the other play-in game.

Marathon went in the 18th. Minute advance with a free kick after Kwame Awuah was punished in front of the blacksmith’s penalty area for dragging a marathon attacker. Banegas’ curling free-kick hit Mathias Techera, whose header hit the bottom of the goal post and bounced straight into Solano to slam through traffic.

Forge, who played with the wind behind his back, brought Chris Nanco to the start of the second half and threatened early when Mo Babouli in 47. Hit the crossbar in the minute after a corner from Bekker was directed at the far post.

Smyrniotis made two changes to his starting line-up, adding Maxim Tissot and Kadell Thomas for Paolo Sabak and Dominic Samuel.

CPL goalkeeper of the year Triston Henry was put into action early when he had to push away Banegas’ swinging corner, which was just below the bar in the fourth minute. At the other end, a marathon defender came in 10th. 30 minutes were hampered by a shot by Thomas after the Hondurans failed to clear a bouncing ball.

Tuesday’s game was veteran center-back David Edgar’s final appearance before retiring. The 33 year old from Kitchener, Ont. won 42 caps for Canada, five of them as captain.

Edgar spent much of his career in England, scoring a long-range missile against Manchester United on Jan.. January a highlight goal for Newcastle. 1, 2007.

Edgar was 64. Yellow carded in the minute after hitting the much smaller Solano, who went down theatrically after the two tangled up to play a ball in mid-air. Forge’s annoyance resurfaced two minutes later when Nanco was cautioned for clumsily cutting off Arriaga.

Luis Vega tested Henry shortly after with a shot from a distance. Tissot may have in the 82nd. Minute scored a goal with a final duel against an attacking Solano.

Tuesday was only the fourth game for Forge since Jan.. September when it defeated HFX Wanderers FC to win the Island Games, the CPL’s shortened season. Marathon prevailed 8: 3: 2 against his group in the Honduran league.

Forge had previously defeated El Salvador’s CD Municipal Limeno 2-1 in the preliminary round and Panama’s Tauro FC 2-1 in the round of 16 before losing to Arcahaie.

A marathon player tested positive for COVID-19 before the game. But other tests among the teams and the referees were negative, so the game went on.

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Forge FC, C. . D.. . Marathon, Concacaf Champions League, Canadian Premier League, Canadian Championship, C. . D.. . Olimpia