Forge Secure Omar Browne On Loan For 2021 CPL Season

Back-to-back Canadian Premier League champion Forge FC has secured the services of Panamian international Omar Browne, who arrives on loan from Club Atletico Independiente de La Chorrera.

If the name of the 27-year-old attacker sounds familiar to some, that’s because he had a loan spell with CF Montreal two years ago, contributing three goals in eleven appearances with the Montreal-based side.

He also scored back-to-back goals against Toronto FC in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League while with CAI, which is what first put him on CF Montreal’s radar.

With eleven appearances split between the Concacaf Champions League and Concacaf League itself, Brown arrives as a high-profile striker with experience that Forge will count on as the Hamilton-based side prepares for its third straight Concacaf League venture.

We are very pleased to welcome Omar to our club. He is a very dynamic attacking player who will fit in quite nicely with our group. His considerable experience competing in international tournaments for both club and country will prove quite valuable for us as we once again compete on multiple fronts this season.

Forge FC Director of Football Costa Smyrniotis

The five-foot-nine forward is a familiar in Panamanian circles, where he has made ten national team appearances since making his debut in 2018. He featured heavily in the 2019 Gold Cup and most recently contributed an assist in a 6-2 friendly loss to the United States last November.

Born in Panama City, Browne has spent most of his career playing domestic football, scoring twenty goals across stints with Plaza Amador, Sporting San Miguelito, Chorrilo, and Club Atletico Independiente de La Chorrera.

The previous year saw him play abroad for the first time since winning the 2019 Canadian Championship with CF Montreal (and scoring against York United along the way), with the 27-year-old having played for San Carlos (Costa Rica) and Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) before returning to CAI.

Browne arrives as a loan signing who will summon high expectations from Forge fans, especially given his experience in the Concacaf League. The reigning CPL champions have done well to bring in some high-profile loans this year, with the club adding 2019 CPL MVP Tristan Borges on loan from OH Leuven and Joshua Navarro coming in from Perez Zeledon.

The club also recently inked a contract with Major League Soccer veteran Dejan Jakovic, with the defender set to succeed David Edgar as a backline anchor. Following his retirement, Edgar has rejoined the side as an assistant coach.

The CPL side will also learn its competition in the 2021 Concacaf League later today, where they will be drawn against either CD FAS (El Salvador), CD Marathon (Honduras), CD Universitario (Panama), Deportivo FC (El Salvador), Metropolitan FA (Costa Rica), or Santos de Guapiles (Costa Rica).

Last year saw the side come one play-off match away from Champions League qualification, with a frustrating match seeing the side’s Concacaf League run end in defeat to CD Marathon.

The terms of the loan arrangement were not disclosed by Forge FC. The team will begin its third-ever Canadian Premier League season on June 27 with a match against Valour FC at IG Field.