2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #106**
** **Halifax Wanderers vs. Forge FC
** **September 30, 2023 at 2 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. AT
** **********Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, Nova Scotia
** Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here
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After missing the playoff by a full 17 points last season, the Halifax Wanderers stand on the verge of completing an outstanding turnaround campaign. Ahead of Saturday’s match against Forge FC, the Wanderers need just a single point to lock up a 2023 playoff position. A York United loss against Atlético Ottawa on Sunday would also punch their ticket. For Halifax, a win, plus a loss or a draw for Atlético Ottawa, or a draw and an Atlético Ottawa loss, would clinch a first-ever home playoff match at the Wanderers Grounds. That would understandably be a massive moment for a side that has collected the second most points at home this season, with 25.
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Despite the importance of the match, however, Halifax head coach Patrice Gheisar has been quick to emphasize the importance of taking undue pressure off of his young group. “I think the playoff [picture] is important, but if you go in with the fear that we have to get a point, I’m not sure I’m the kind of guy to give that kind of message,” he said. “We want to go out and win, and that’s the message every single game. I think this is the picture of dare I say a dream over the next two years of a final that we could potentially host against a top team like Forge, and we’ve got to learn to win these games.” After defeating Pacific in a massive clash at Tim Hortons Field last Saturday, Forge will be looking to hold on to second place in the table, which would go a long way toward making their path more clear to a fifth CPL final appearance. The Hamilton side are in excellent form of late, as they have lost just once in their past 12 matches. A win for them on Saturday would mean the most road points they have ever collected in a season, with 26, their previous best coming in 2021 with 25 when they topped the regular season table. The Wanderers, meanwhile, have won just once in their past five matches, including losing two of their last three at home. Halifax have actually been quite excellent against Forge this season, however, as they are undefeated against the Hamilton side between a victory at home and two draws at Tim Hortons Field. If they can pick up a result on Saturday, it would be the first time they’ve gone undefeated against Forge in a full CPL season. Forge has allowed the opening goal in all three meetings, with their earliest goal scored against Halifax this season coming from a Béni Badibanga free kick in the 79th minute. Getting off to a better start on Saturday will undoubtedly be on the minds of a Forge side who have now scored the opening goal in three of the past four matches after struggling to strike first the majority of the 2023 season. Halifax will be without a pair of key players as Callum Watson and Zachary Fernandez are both serving suspensions. Fernandez, who picked up his eighth yellow card of the season last week against Vancouver FC, will be out for the rest of the regular season as a result. Both clubs still need to pick up U-21 minutes in order to be officially playoff-eligible. Forge are very close, needing just 128 over their final two matches, while Halifax still require 285 which could affect some of the lineup decisions they make in this match.
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3 THINGS TO WATCH
- **Both sides will have decisions to make at the back ahead of crucial match: **Last weekend, despite playing one of their biggest matches of the season against Pacific, Forge FC sat a number of defenders as an injury precaution, with Garven Metusala, Dom Samuel and Malik Owolabi-Belewu all unavailable. Metusala and Owalabi-Belewu will be back and available. Malcolm Duncan, meanwhile, was injured in the first half of that match, while Triston Henry also had to be taken out of the game for precautionary reasons, Duncan is doing well and is on the road to recovery, while Henry is fit and available for Saturday’s match. Halifax, meanwhile, have rolled out a number of different defensive setups over the past few matches. They will need to do so again on Saturday, with Fernandez unavailable through suspension. “Six weeks ago we gave up the least goals in the league, we were at 22 goals, and in the past five games that changed, we haven’t had a clean sheet, so for us we are trying to go with the personnel that is going to get us that clean sheet,” said Gheisar. “I think Zach has been really, really, really good and we are lucky to have that wealth of talent back there so when we lose someone, we get someone that is going to come in and step in. I think the important message is we need to get a clean sheet tomorrow, we really need to keep zeroes.” * Forge FC youngster Kwasi Poku is becoming an important player down the stretch: ****After returning from a two-match suspension against Pacific this past weekend, 20-year-old Poku picked up where he left off with an outstanding performance that earned him the CPL’s Player of the Week. Poku had an assist against Pacific, while also playing a cross that led to his side’s second goal. As the season reaches the business end, it looks as though Poku may have locked up a starting position on the Forge side — playing an important role down the stretch. He has now started six straight matches when he has been available, with the only interruptions being injury and suspension. Poku has scored two goals and added two assists this season and could be in the conversation for the league’s U-21 Canadian Player of the Year award. “He gives us a different dimension,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “We also see in a couple of games where he’s missing where we could use his presence, his ability just to play in those wide areas in the one-v-one situations, his service and also his dribbling ability is needed in a game that has become a lot about passing and moving. You need those guys who are able to carry the ball 20-30 metres up the field, and I think he is one of if maybe not the best in this league to be able to do that.” * How does Halifax balance U-21 minutes during critical fixture?: One of the biggest stories of the end to Halifax’s season will be how they manage to secure their remaining 285 U-21 minutes. The strategy thus far has seemingly been to go with more veteran lineups in matches at home, then shift to younger groups on the road. However, with just two matches remaining in the 2023 season, it would certainly be risky for Halifax to go into their final fixture of the season on the road against Valour still needing the bulk of those minutes. That would especially be true if they are unable to get a result on Saturday that secures them a playoff position. With that being said, Gheisar has been happy with the progression of a number of his U-21 players, and feels they are earning their spots in his lineup. “I think Tommy [Giraldo], Armaan [Wilson] and Tiago [Coimbra] have really stepped up for our U-21 minutes,” said Gheisar. “What I said about it a few weeks ago that I don’t want to ever play a player because they label as an under-21, I think they are playing because they deserve to.”
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Halifax Wanderers (3-4-2-1): Fillion; Nimick, Henry, Loughrey; Ferrazzo, Callegari, Omar, Ferrin; Giraldo, Daniels; Perruzza
Forge FC (3-4-1-2): Henry; Metusala, James, Achinioti-Jönsson; Rama, Bekker, Hojabrpour, Poku; Badibanga; Pacius, Campbell
ALL-TIME SERIES
Halifax wins: 3 || Forge FC wins: 8 || Draws: 8
Last meeting:
August 19, 2023 – Forge FC 1-1 Halifax Wanderers
KEY QUOTES
“With a young team when you start to use words like ‘pressure’, ‘it has to be now’, ‘now or never’, it takes away from their love and desire and joyfulness of playing every game at its best. Look at every final, what is the score of ” — Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar “We know we need three points here to keep ourselves where we want to be to close out this season. We’ve got to go out there, we have to be efficient in what we want to do and we’ve got to be mistake-free. I think that’s what these games are about.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis