CPL Regular Season — Match #103**
** Forge FC vs. Pacific FC**
** September 23, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT**
** **Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
** Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here
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The Canadian Premier League’s only two playoff champions to date, Forge FC and Pacific FC, will clash at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday in a match that could go a long way toward determining where the 2023 final will be held. Under the league’s new playoff format, the top two finishers during the regular season play for a chance to advance directly to, as well as host, the final. While Forge has appeared in all four CPL finals to date, they have only hosted once — the 2021 final which they lost 1-0 to Pacific FC. The Tridents have never hosted a final. The two sides currently sit in second place (Pacific) and third (Forge), with just a single point separating them in the table. “I think that’s where you want to be, you look at the start of the season you want to make sure you are in one of those two,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “Obviously, the first spot gives you automatic Champions League qualification and that is something that is number one on our mind this year.. we know finishing in those top two spots gives you the best ability to do that and the best chance when you look at the playoff structure. With that said for both teams, tomorrow is an important one.” The Tridents, in particular, also need a win to guarantee they keep their hopes of winning the regular season title alive. Should Cavalry win at York earlier in the day on Saturday, and Pacific FC fail to win against Forge, the Cavs would clinch the Canadian Premier League Shield. Forge, meanwhile, could become the third team to clinch a CPL Playoff spot this weekend if they win or draw against Pacific. They could also do so with a loss should York United also lose against Cavalry, or York and Atlético Ottawa both drop points this weekend.
Given just a single point separates the two sides in the standing, it should come as no surprise that recent matches between Forge and Pacific have been tightly contested. Three of the past four, dating back to late last season, have ended 1-0. Forge won the most recent meeting 2-0 at Starlight Stadium back on July 21. The Hamilton side, however, have uncharacteristically struggled at home this season — with their three wins in 12 home matches tied with Valour and York United for fewest in the league, with seven of those matches ending in draws. Forge has never had fewer than six wins at Tim Hortons Field in a full CPL season — keeping in mind they played their first four ‘home’ matches of the 2021 season at IG Field during the Winnipeg bubble. In particular, the heavily experienced side has oddly struggled to control the second half of matches at Tim Hortons Field, as only Vancouver FC have conceded more second-half goals at home than Forge’s 11. Pacific, meanwhile, have been quality away from home this season. Their 4-1 victory over York United at York Lions Stadium this past weekend meant the club has now collected a club record 21 points on the road this season, the previous best being the 20 they achieved last season. Both clubs will see key players return from suspension for this match. For Forge, Kwasi Poku is once again available which will be incredibly helpful for the club in terms of collecting their remaining 260 U-21 Canadian minutes. Pacific, meanwhile, get Cédric Toussaint back from his two-match ban due to yellow card accumulation. In his place, however, it is worth noting that Steffen Yeates has been excellent, scoring his first CPL goal and earning a nod for the Team of the Week this past week.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
- **Pacific FC club record away this season: **Saturday’s match at Tim Hortons Field will be a meeting between the two best road sides in the CPL this season. But while Forge have generally been one of the league’s top clubs away from home each season, this is uncharted territory for Pacific. They have now collected a club record 21 points away from home, and are currently tied for the league record in terms of goals scored away from home in a season at 25 (Cavalry also scored this many in 2019). Pacific FC head coach James Merriman said that he has been particularly impressed given his side arguably have the most difficult travel schedule in the league considering the fact that they have to consistently make connecting flights from Vancouver Island. “It is something that in the past seasons it has not been our biggest strength,” he said. “We’ve always been good at home, at Starlight Stadium, but we needed to improve our away performances, how we carry ourselves on the road, if we need to do a little bit extra in the hotels, on the flight, all the little things that can add and help us have some success. It has been a bit focus for us, I think we are a little bit disappointed with some of the results at home, but we have to be happy with what we have been able to achieve on the road, absolutely.” * Can Woobens Pacius come clutch again, push for Golden boot: Pacius told the media last season that it has been like this ever since he was young, once he scored one goal several others tended to follow. The good news for Forge is that seems to be happening once again at the business end of the season, as the 22-year-old striker has scored four goals in his past three matches. He has now scored eight goals this season, putting him fourth in the league’s Golden Boot race, which is exactly where he finished last season with 10 goals. Crucially, however, he also scored in both legs of the club’s semi-final against Cavalry FC in 2022 and Forge could certainly use that kind of clutch scoring as the matches get more and more important. Pacius scored the match-winner in the first meeting between the two sides this season. * With Toussaint’s return, what does Pacific do in the midfield: For Merriman, selection headaches this season have mostly come up front. But after a week where all three of Pacific’s midfielders were in the team of the week, and all of them scored, he is going to have to figure out whether or not to integrate Cédric Toussaint back into the starting lineup. Toussaint has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the league this season, as critical to Pacific’s success, but Steffen Yeates has also been in outstanding form of late and the midfield three truly clicked and York Lions Stadium last week. “This is the time of the season where we need players in rhythm, in form, connecting, that chemistry,”said Merriman.”You really felt that in both matches with Sean [Young] and Stef [Yeates] and Manu [Aparicio]. We’ve always had Cédric and we know the quality that he brings to the six, and the balance that he brings to the team. We have four great options for three positions in our team, and it is only going to make us stronger coming toward the end of the season.”
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Forge FC: Henry; Metusala, Achinioti-Jönsson, James, Rama; Hojabprour, Bekker, Sissoko; Poku, Borges, Pacius**
**Pacific FC: **Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Didic, Meilleur-Giguère, Mukumbilwa; Toussaint, Aparicio, Young; Manneh, Daniels, Heard
ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge FC wins: 11 || Pacific FC wins: 4 || Draws: 2
Last meeting:
July 21, 2023 — Pacific FC 0-2 Forge FC
KEY QUOTES
“They are a team that has done well, they are a team that probably feel they could have done a little bit better up to this point. But again, at this point each week is a big match week for both Forge and Pacific.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis “We have big respect for them, how they play, for Bobby as a manager, for tactically how they set up, for the players and the quality that they have. We respect that, and we expect a big match at this time in the season as well, everyone understands what is on the line, both teams, and I think it is going to be a great game of football in this league and at this standard.” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman