Reload: Forge FC bring 4 players back to Hamilton

Hamilton | Ontario | Soccer | Sports |

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Published January 24, 2022 at 3:24 pm

Omar Browne is one of four players that Hamilton's Forge FC announced is returning for the 2022 season on Monday (Jan. 24). Photo by @forgefchamilton

Forge FC continued its offseason reload on Monday (Jan. 24) with the Canadian Premier Club (CPL) announcing the return of one international and three Canadians to Hamilton.

Forge extended the loan of Panamanian international forward Omar Browne from Club Atlético Independiente de La Chorrera (C.A.I.) for all of 2022. They also exercised the contract options of national attackers Emery Welshman, Chris Nanco, and Woobens Pacius for the 2022 season.

Browne, 27, made 15 total appearances for Forge FC whilst on loan last season (2021), including nine in CPL play, five in Concacaf League and one Canadian Championship match, registering three goals and three assists overall. Prior to Forge, the native of Panama City, Panama, appeared in 11 games and scored three goals with Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal) in 2019 before returning to C.A. Independiente.

The 5-9 native of Panama City has spent most of his career in Panama’s first division, suiting up with Plaza Amador (2012-13), Sporting San Miguelito (2013-14), Chorrillo (2014-15) and C.A.I. (2018-19, 20), scoring 20 goals overall. He also spent time in 2020 with Costa Rica’s San Carlos and the Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Internationally, Browne has 12 caps with the Panamanian national team dating back to 2018, where the forward has tallied three assists overall. His performances while at Forge FC earned him a recall to the national team this past November 2021, where he appeared in two important World Cup qualifying matches, both wins versus Honduras and El Salvador. He has also represented Panama at the youth national level including the 2011 U17 World Cup in Mexico.

Welshman, 30, has made 30 total appearances for Forge FC over two seasons (2019, 2021), including 22 in CPL play, five in Concacaf League and three Canadian Championship matches, registering four goals and two assists overall. Prior to Forge, the native of Mississauga, Ontario, spent parts of three seasons (2019-21) in the Israeli first and second divisions suiting up with Hapoel Raanana in the Liga Leumitduring the 2020-21 seasons, Ihud Bnei Sakhnin of the Ligat ha’Al in 2019-20, and also played with Hapoel Haifa of the Ligat ha’Al in 2019.

The 5-11 forward also spent time with FC Cincinnati in 2018, and Puerto Rico FC of the North American Soccer League in 2017. Welshman, who was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by Toronto FC in the 2013 MLS Superdraft, also went on to play with Sigma FC of League1 Ontario (2014), Real Monarchs SLC of the USL (2015) and Real Salt Lake of the MLS (2016).

Prior to turning pro, Welshman spent two years at Sienna College (2009-10) and two years at Oregon State University (2011-12). He earned All-PAC 12 first-team honours in both of his seasons at Oregon State. Internationally, Welshman has 19 caps for Guyana dating back to 2015, recording 10 goals and three assists.

Nanco, 26, has made 61 total appearances for Forge FC over three seasons (2019-2021), including 51 in CPL play, nine in Concacaf League, and one Canadian Championship match, registering nine goals and two assists overall. Prior to joining Forge FC, Nanco made 60 appearances for Bethlehem Steel of the United Soccer League over two seasons (2017-18), registering nine goals and six assists.

The Brampton, Ontario native spent the four previous years at Syracuse University (2013-16), appearing in 84 career games and recording 21 goals and seven assists. Nanco developed through Sigma FC’s youth teams competing at all levels all the way up to Sigma FC’s League1 Ontario team. Internationally, Nanco has represented Canada at the under-17 and under-20 levels, earning a silver medal at the 2011 CONCACAF U17 Championships.

Pacius, 20, made 27 total appearances for Forge FC in 2021, including 20 in CPL play, six in Concacaf League, and one Canadian Championship match, registering eight goals and two assists overall. Prior to Forge, the 6-1 native of Terrebonne, Quebec, played in the CF Montreal academy making 11 appearances scoring 11 goals over three seasons with the youth program at CF Montreal (2017-2020).

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