A pair of goals in the first 17 minutes was all Santos de Guápiles FC needed to beat Forge FC in match one of a Scotiabank CONCACAF League quarterfinal.
The Costa Ricans actually went down to the Hamilton-based side after six minutes via a goal from midfielder Kyle Bekker.
The lead would only last minutes as Jamaican forward Javon East beat keeper Triston Henry in the 12th minute.
The winning goal would come from defender Christopher Meneses Barrantes in the 17th minute.
The match marks Forge’s fifth since Oct. 3.
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) side is now headed to Halifax for a Saturday match against HFX Wanderers.
The return leg with Santos de Guápiles will be Nov. 2 at Tim Horton’s Field.
The CONCACAF League is a 22-team feeder tournament that will send six sides to the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, the flagship club competition in the region that covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The four semifinalists move on to the Champions League, along with the two best losing quarterfinalists.
Forge made it to the competition’s quarterfinals last year, beaten by Haiti’s Arcahaie FC in a penalty shootout.
It then lost 1-0 to CD Marathon in a play-in match, which represented one final chance to qualify for the Champions League.
— with files from the Canadian Press
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