2022 CPL Regular Season — Match #111
Forge FC vs. HFX Wanderers
October 9, 2022 at 1 p.m. ET/2 p.m. AT
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
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With the end of the marathon rapidly approaching, the final sprint is near. After 27 intense games of Canadian Premier League action, the final regular season games are coming up this weekend, as a pair of doubleheaders will put a bow on 2022 play. With the playoffs looming in just over a week, there is still a lot to be decided ahead of then, too, as while the four postseason participants are confirmed in Atlético Ottawa, Pacific, Forge and Cavalry, no one is quite sure who will play against each other in the semi-finals yet. Therefore, this final weekend will be crucial for seeding purposes, as well as for deciding the winner of the regular season title, as all of that remains up in the air with just one game to go. Because of that, one game with a lot at stake when Forge hosts the Halifax Wanderers at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday, in the first game of the second doubleheader of the weekend. There, Forge will look to take care of business in front of their home fans, as they could climb to as high as second with a win. They’d be unable to get up to first, however, denying them a shot at silverware, but given that second would mean they host the second leg of their semi-final playoff tie, that’d be almost just as huge, allowing them to have a crucial advantage heading into the postseason. As a result, although they’re smarting off of a narrow 1-0 loss to Pacific in midweek, one that eliminated them from regular season title contention, the two-time ‘North Star Shield’ champions are eager to set themselves up nicely for a run at their third playoff crown here. With a win over Halifax, they’d do just that, so they understand the importance of winning this game, even if their playoff lives are no longer on the line after clinching last week. “We have important games coming up in front of us, and it’s all about lifting that trophy in the end for us,” Forge head coach, Bobby Smyrniotis said this week. “We’ve been a club that has risen to the occasion. Yes, we’re a team with a lot of new players as opposed to the past, so it’s about bringing these guys into the culture, and no better way to do it than tackling what comes up in front of us.” Meanwhile, the Wanderers are heading into Hamilton looking to just salvage some pride. Having missed out on the playoffs for a second consecutive season, the Wanderers will feel that they could’ve done more with certain opportunities throughout this year, leaving them in a better position than this. Yet, as was the case in their last game, a narrow 2-1 home loss to Ottawa, they often failed to take their chances in a lot of those games, especially at home, leaving them on the outside looking in this year. The good news, however, is that they’ve got a lot of positive building blocks to use as a foundation for 2023, having made some intriguing signings as the year has gone along, but that still doesn’t mean that missing the playoffs doesn’t hurt. Therefore, they’re eager to at least finish the season off on a high note, all while throwing a wrench in Forge’s playoff plans, which would only be a bonus for them. Given the torment that Forge has given them over the years, a win on the road would be so sweet, making it a good target for the Wanderers to have as they head into this matchup. “We’re all disappointed that we didn’t deliver more of a fight to try and get into a playoff position,” Halifax manager, Stephen Hart, said this week. “But those opportunities are never coming back. So we just have to look forward, and look ahead.”
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3 THINGS TO WATCH
- Will Forge continue Halifax dominance? Speaking of that Forge dominance over Halifax, however, that is certainly reflected in the numbers, as Forge enters this game having won four straight over the Wanderers, and are undefeated in their last six meetings (5W-1D) over the Halifax-based side. Plus, in 15 previous meetings, they’ve never lost to the Wanderers at Tim Hortons Field, leaving Halifax empty-handed in previous meetings to the Hammer. Because of that, it certainly doesn’t leave history on the side of the Wanderers heading into this game, giving Forge a big edge. At the same time, that can only be a plus for this Wanderers side. With nothing to lose, but all to gain considering how they could foil Forge’s playoff seeding with a win, they’ll be able to go out knowing that they could get some revenge on a team that has mostly had their number over the years. Of course, that probably won’t be enough to make up for past results, but it’d be a start, giving the Wanderers something to think about as these teams get set to meet again in 2023, especially if a result here does end up messing with Forge’s playoff aspirations in any way. * Wanderers hoping young squad can find resilience: Plus, on the theme of 2023, it does feel like the Wanderers are putting together an intriguing project for that. Having signed a bunch of talented youngsters, the Wanderers have loaded up on players that could make a difference in the future, making them a team to watch long-term. Especially on the defensive side of things, where despite having a back five and goalkeeper that has typically averaged out at around 22 years old over the past month, they’ve actually had some of their best defensive results over that span. Therefore, it feels like if they can strike a similar balance in the attack, led by Sam Salter, that would be huge heading into 2023, especially with their offensive talisman, João Morelli, set to return after a long-term injury. As a result, even if the likes of Jake Ruby, Christian Campagna, Zachary Fernandez, Gabriel Escobar, Lifumpa Mwandwe and Ludwig Kojo Amla won’t taste the playoffs this time around, there’s a lot to like with that young group, both in terms of their potential, as well as how they breathed life into the Wanderers in the second half of the campaign, finding a way to keep on fighting right to the very end. “It’s important for our approach to be realistic and level-headed,” Hart said of his youngsters. “We have eight players that are first-time professionals, and five that it’s only in their second year.” He added: “That’s a situation to manage.” * Forge looking to fine-tune ahead of playoffs: Meanwhile, on Forge’s end, it’s all about preparing for the playoffs on their end, as they cap off another solid regular season campaign. Having booked their fourth straight ticket to the playoffs, the mission is simple for them now – get to their fourth-straight final, and then win their third ‘North Star Shield’. As a result, that means their focus is on doing whatever they can to aid themselves in that quest, first by trying to nab that second seed, while doing what they can to keep guys in rhythm and in form with a good performance in this game. Therefore, look for Forge to try and find another gear in this game. Despite their position in the standings, it feels like they could turn it up to another level to be the Forge that many are used to seeing in big games, something that the underlying numbers also suggest, too. Considering that they lead the league in goals for and have the fewest goals against, that’s scary, but shows why Forge is always a team to watch in these big moments, something that they’ll want to prove once again when the playoffs kick off in just over a week’s time. “We always want to try and create some momentum and have a good performance,” Smyrniotis said. “So the number one thing is that the performance has to be good. After that, this is also your last opportunity to try some new things, try some different things that you’ll want to see (so that you’re ready) for when the playoffs roll around.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge FC wins: 7 || HFX Wanderers wins: 2 || Draws: 6
Previous match:
August 6th, 2022 — Forge FC 1-0 HFX Wanderers
KEY QUOTES
“It’s difficult to sum up, because we’ve had different phases of the season. But I think the best way to say it is growth, there’s been a lot of growth in this team. You look at our team that played the last two games, and just three of those players in the starting 11 started in the CPL championship in 2021. I think sometimes we forget that as Forge we’ve done a lot in this league, and there are high expectations for us, but there are also a lot of new players out there, and there’s been exceptional growth in this team this year, with a much younger squad all across the board.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “It’s been a season of missed opportunities. I think we were looking over some of the opportunities we had at key moments in the game, where if we had, if we had been a little more clinical, the opposition would have been put under a fair bit of stress. But we failed to do that. But as I said, those two things are part of our learning curve, knowing how to put teams that you’re playing against under pressure, and then managing those games once we do.” — Halifax Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart.