They may have frozen out Tigres in Hamilton last week, but Forge FC have always preferred the heat.
Head coach Bobby Smyrniotis joked on Monday that anyone who says otherwise clearly didn't see his team flock to the beach in between training sessions during pre-season in Cancun.
But on Tuesday night (10 p.m. ET kick-off, OneSoccer), at the stadium they call El Volcán ('The Volcano'), Forge face a different kind of heat. Yes, the weather at kickoff is expected to be some 35 degrees warmer than it was a week ago at Hamilton Stadium. But with everything on the line in their Concacaf Champions Cup round one matchup against Tigres, following a 0-0 draw in leg one, the intensity of the tie reaches a boiling point.
Tigres are now in their den. They won't be quite as surprised by what Forge have to offer following the resilient defensive performance the Hamilton club offered in leg one, nor by the heroics of Dimitry Bertaud.
Since that last meeting, Tigres have added another weapon to their arsenal, Uruguayan international Rodrigo Aguirre from Club América. On Saturday, they smashed Santos Laguna 5-1 in Liga MX action at home — even resting some of their stars with an eye toward Tuesday.
As the club's name perhaps manifested, however, Forge have always done their best work in the most hotly contested matches.
"You can't really complain too much about playing in great weather, big stadium, lots of fans and when the stage is bright, and everybody's watching you," Forge midfielder Tristan Borges told media on Monday. "Looking from a big picture, honestly, it's the best part of the game.
"You want to be playing in big games, you want to be playing in games where it's do-or-die at the end of the day."
Tuesday will be their 59th knockout match in their eight-year history, played between either the CPL playoffs, Concacaf competition or the Canadian Championship. They are used to the big stage.
"We've been able to do some excellent things," said Smyrniotis. "Theoretically, 'punching above our weight'. We never think like that. We're a club that thinks big, dreams big, always, and that's how we move."
That ambition has delivered four CPL titles, seen them top the table in the league three times, and play in a CanChamp final. But in their fourth time of asking, it has yet to see them advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
"We've put in a lot of work to be part of this competition, and we want to be getting results," said Borges.
In order to do so, Forge know they will have to raise their standards even higher than they did in leg one. They are playing one of the best technical teams on the continent, and will need to be patient and disciplined with, and largely without, the ball. Every pass, every throw in, every detail, particularly every set piece, could change everything.
So, too, would a Forge goal. With the away goals rule in place, should the Hamilton club score, especially first, it would mean a draw is enough to advance — and instantly place the pressure on the hosts. Suddenly, Tigres would have to go in attack mode and perhaps expose a soft underbelly in transition.
"We know a goal is very important," said Smyrniotis. "That changes the dynamic of the game."
Still, just as in the first leg, it will be executing a game plan over 90 minutes, and perhaps beyond should the fates decide. Hostile atmosphere, difference in roster value and match fitness, or the weather, excuses play no part in that preparation.
"We understand that it's big stages," said Borges. "And for us, whether it's freezing cold, or whether it's hot, we don't really think about it too much."
