How Forge FC are stepping up standards for Concacaf Champions Cup clash vs. Monterrey 🇲🇽

Mo Babouli lengthened his strides as he jogged toward the back post, raising his hand to get the attention of teammate Omar Browne on the opposite flank.

Browne's hypnotizing combination of dribbles drew the attention of multiple Santos de Guápiles defenders, allowing Babouli to drift unmarked into the left side of the box. Creating a yard of space, Browne lofted a cross towards Babouli.

Taking the time to set himself, Babouli connected perfectly with the ball in mid-air, sending a thunderous strike across goal. There was nothing Kevin Ruiz Rojas could do in the Santos net as the ball cannoned past him and into the bottom right corner of the net.

The goal was a vital one, coming in the 65th minute of the second leg of Forge's Concacaf League quarter-final against Santos on Nov. 2, 2021. After a disastrous 3-1 first-leg loss in San José, which Babouli had missed through suspension, his goal gave Forge a 2-0 lead on the night, and on aggregate. It was the goal that ultimately qualified Forge for their first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup, and a significant moment in the club's history.

"That was a great feeling for me, to be able to help the team to move on to the next round," Babouli reminisced.

As he peeled away in celebration that night, Babouli turned and pointed toward the name on the back of his kit, before captain Kyle Bekker leapt into his arms.

It's a name that Forge fans will soon get to cheer on again, as after three seasons with rivals York United, Babouli is back with the Hamilton club for the 2025 season.

The timing couldn't be better. During his time with Forge, Babouli consistently delivered big moments in continental competition, scoring four goals and adding two assists across ten matches in the Concacaf League. However, after leaving the club following the 2021 season, Babouli never did get to play in the Champions Cup for which he helped Forge qualify.

But now, as they get set to face CF Monterrey in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, beginning on Feb. 5 in Hamilton, Babouli is back, and intent on once again being a difference maker for his club.

"It didn't work out the first time where I could have played in that Champions Cup, but now, you know, everything happens for a reason," said Babouli. "I'm here now, hopefully I can play my part."

The fact that he knows exactly what that part entails is a big reason why Babouli could be such an impactful signing for Forge this season, both for the Champions Cup and beyond. Having previously played with key Forge players like Kyle Bekker, David Choinière and Tristan Borges, Babouli will also bring key familiarity and chemistry with former York United, now Forge, teammate Brian Wright, who is expected to lead the line this season.

"That's part of the plan, to adapt quickly, gain familiarity with some of the guys that weren't here and [regain it] with some of the guys that I haven't played with in a couple of years," said Babouli. "But I think all in all it's pretty familiar, from what we're asked to do, and how we want to play."

Being able to adapt quickly is crucial, because Forge have little runway this pre-season before they face Monterrey, starting on Wednesday, Feb. 5 (8 p.m. ET) in Hamilton, followed by a trip to Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on Tuesday, Feb. 11 (also 8 p.m.). They face a club whose domestic season has already started, and who have won five of the last 14 Concacaf Champions Cup competitions.

"Monterrey is probably the best team in Mexico for the last few years," said Babouli. "They've been around, they've got experience, they've been in these situations before, and obviously they don't really have a salary cap like we do. So for us, it's just trying to catch them off guard, catch them by surprise. And bring something different with the energy and what we can do and what we can try to achieve against them.

"Hopefully, we can play a good game both home and away, and hopefully get a result. We know it'll be tough, but we're going to try our best."

Forge have been watching a lot of video on Monterrey, and Babouli says what instantly stands out is how they are able to control games with the ball. Limiting their time and space is going to be critical to any sort of success in this matchup.

"What we want to do is not give them the freedom to play, and try to play our style of football and see if we can go toe-to-toe with them," said Babouli.

A player like Babouli will be critical to this mentality. His combination of creativity and fearlessness is the exact recipe for creating a moment of magic in games of this magnitude.

Forge will absolutely need more than its fair share of magic in order to get a historic result against Monterrey, but Babouli is a player who knows what it takes to make history in Concacaf.