MIAMI, Florida – Two teams back in the Concacaf Champions Cup mix meet on Wednesday in the first leg of Round One of the 2024 edition, as Canadian Premier League winners Forge FC host Liga MX side Chivas at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton, Ontario.

Forge are in their second Champions Cup after debuting in 2022 when they also opened against Mexican opposition. That ended in a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Cruz Azul but did include a historic first-ever Champions Cup goal scored by David Choiniere.

Choiniere and Forge embracing challenge versus Chivas

In that Round of 16 series two years ago, Forge suffered a 1-0 defeat at home in the first leg, so they will be out to write a different story this time around.

Choiniere is among a handful of players who played in that 2022 series, along with MF Kyle Bekker, attacker Tristan Borges and sure-handed GK Tristan Henry.

Bekker has two goals in 17 career Concacaf games, Borges scored a goal in 12 Concacaf League matches and Henry has been the main man in net for every single Concacaf matched played by the CPL side.

Chivas are back in the Champions Cup for the first time since their second title conquest in 2018 and will be targeting a positive result away from home to start the tournament.

Flying winger Roberto Alvarado had six goals in 15 games in the 2023 Apertura and was a Champions Cup winner with Pachuca in 2016-17, in addition to playing the 2020 and 2021 Champions Cups with Cruz Azul.

Jose Juan Macias was a member of that 2018 Chivas time that won the Champions Cup, scoring two goals in six matches.

Forge FC (CAN) vs CD Guadalajara (MEX)

REF:         VICTOR RIVAS (USA)

AR1:         COREY PARKER (USA)

AR2:         LOGAN BROWN (USA)

4TH:         RUBIEL VAZQUEZ (USA)

VAR:        ALLEN CHAPMAN (USA)

VAR1:      TRISTLEY BASSUE (Saint Kitts and Nevis)