This year, their third consecutive appearance in the CCL, they have serious designs on winning the trophy, coming in as the highest-seeded team in the tournament. Recently, though, Cruz Azul have been very competitive, both at home and abroad.Ĭruz Azul enjoyed a strong run in the Champions League just last year, where they beat Haitian side Arcahaie (remember them?) 8-0 on aggregate before defeating Toronto FC in the quarter-finals, though they bowed out in the semi-finals against fellow Mexican side Monterrey. In fact, their 2021 title was the first time they’d won the league since the 1997 season, when they became the first club to win a North American treble - Liga MX, Copa MX, and Concacaf championships. Cruz Azul (Leg 1) - Concacaf Champions League || Forge become first CPL team to play in the Concacaf Champions League: How did they get here?
Despite their storied history, though, the 21st century has been a little dry for Los Cementeros.
Founded in 1927 in Mexico’s Hidalgo region, they moved in 1971 to the capital Mexico City - and the fabled Azteca. They’ve won nine Liga MX titles (fourth most), and they’ve been crowned champions of Concacaf six times (most recently in 2014) - more than all but one other club in the region. To begin: Cruz Azul are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Mexico. As always when they take on new challenges in the continental game, Bobby Smyrniotis’ Forge will not be intimidated by the stature or gravity of their opponents, but nonetheless there’s a reason this particular draw makes the tie a little more special. This Wednesday, February 16 will see the 2021 Liga MX Clausura title winners take the pitch at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton in what will, undoubtedly, be a fascinating test for the CPL outfit Forge. But when they found themselves drawn against Mexican side Cruz Azul, the promise of a two-legged round of 16 tie with a true Concacaf giant and a trip to Estadio Azteca was positively mouth-watering. Forge FC’s first-ever foray into the Concacaf Champions League was always going to be a monumental episode in their history, regardless of the opposition.
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