HAMILTON – Cade Cowell scored a pair of goals and had an assist to spark Mexican heavyweights Chivas to a 3-1 victory against Canadian Premier League side Forge FC in the first leg of Round One of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday night at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton, Ontario.
Chivas were the ones to land the first big punch, as Cowell handed the visitors from Guadalajara a 1-0 lead in the 26’ when he received a no-look pass from Fernando Gonzalez and hammered a left-footed shot into net.
The Chivas goal brought things to life, and five minutes later in the 31’ a Forge counterattack was finished off with perfection by Terran Campbell, who volleyed home a cross from the left wing by Tristan Borges to even things at 1-1.
Back and forth it went and Chivas nearly regained the lead shortly before halftime when a leaning header from Leonardo Sepulveda struck the crossbar.
The Mexican side would get a second goal before intermission, as Cade Cowell served up an inch-perfect cross for Ricardo Marin to head into net for a 2-1 Chivas advantage.
Forge looked to respond in the second half and Campbell appeared set to score his second of the night and level his side in the 54’, but Chivas GK Oscar Whalley made a reaction save to keep his side ahead.
The night belonged to Cade Cowell, though, and the new arrival to the club bagged his second goal of the game by receiving a pass in behind the Forge defense and finishing with aplomb for a 3-1 Chivas lead in the 63’.
Any attempts by Forge to get back to within a goal were rebuffed by the Chivas defense, as the Mexican visitors closed things out to give themselves a healthy advantage going into next week’s return leg in Mexico.
