With the Canadian Premier League’s 2023 season just past its midway point, the faculty at CanPL.ca have decided to evaluate each club’s first half of the campaign. All four panelists have assigned a letter grade to every side for their body of work so far, with some advice and areas for improvement for the remaining half of the year as well. To see report cards for other clubs, click here.
Forge FC
Record so far: 6W, 5D, 5L (23 points)
First half summary:
Mitchell Tierney: It has been an odd season for the three-time champs, who had the best start to a campaign in club history before struggling over the past few months. Despite dominating matches in terms of chances created they have opened the scoring in just five matches so far this season, and have been forced to chase games as a result. This has especially been a concern at home, winning just twice, and allowing 12 goals, in eight matches so far this season.
GRADE: B
Benedict Rhodes: On paper, Forge FC remain arguably the best team in the Canadian Premier League, but inconsistency has left the three-time CPL champions frustrated at times despite being up in a playoff spot. There have been stretches of the season where they weren’t turning their scoring opportunities into goals, but with Golden Boot leader Terran Campbell and the attacking unit starting to heat up, the Hammers look to be getting back on track. As they are well aware, it isn’t about how well you start the season, it’s about getting into the playoffs and peaking at the right time, and their peak has the highest-potential of them all.
GRADE: B
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: It’s a testament to how good Forge usually is, as despite having had one of their worst first halves across their five years in the league, they still sit near the top of the table, although their perch isn’t as sturdy as it usually might be at this stage. Despite that, there’s no doubt that this Forge team will be left wanting after the first half of the campaign. They’ve continued to play well, by both the eye test and the numbers, but continue to let themselves down with their finishing and defending. Along with some uncharacteristic struggles at home, it’s made for a strange start to the year for Forge, as the defending champions have looked a lot more human than many expected them to be heading into this year.
GRADE: C+
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: The grading scale has to be tougher in Hamilton than anywhere else, because of how successful Forge have been the last four years. After jumping out to their best-ever start (unbeaten in their first seven with a 4-3-0 record), they cooled off badly, going 1-1-4 in June. Some top talents in attack like Woobens Pacius have yet to get going, but Terran Campbell’s recent surge has them very much in the hunt for top spot.
GRADE: B-
Second half outlook:
Mitchell Tierney: As much as Forge’s main issues have been persistent this year, the underlying numbers suggest a significant course correction in the second half. Only Pacific FC have better expected goal and expected goal against numbers, the latter of which they have significantly underperformed (16.4 expected goals against vs. 19 goals against). Terran Campbell leads the Golden Boot race, while Kyle Bekker has been outstanding in midfield once again.
Benedict Rhodes: Forge FC are Forge FC, and they have a reputation for peaking at the right time. When the playoffs roll around it is always hard to bet against the three-time champions, especially if they hit their stride as the regular season starts to wind down. This team possesses one of the best players in the league at every single position, and anything other than at least one trophy and Concacaf Champions League qualification will be seen by them as a disappointment. When it’s all said and done, expect the Hammers to be there or thereabouts once again if they can continue to put the ball into the back of the net.
Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic: Despite the slow start, this is still Forge, and they can heat up at any moment, so they’ll look to refind their feet in the second half. In particular, they’ll look to tidy things up defensively — they’ve allowed over five goals more than their xG, which has hurt their ability to nab wins. Offensively, they’re finding their feet again, as Terran Campbell is heating up, so if they can clean up their defence, they should be in a good position as the year goes on.
Charlie O’Connor-Clarke: I expect the champions to still be the title favourites come playoff time, just because of how consistent they’ve always been at that time of year. They’ve been through tough spells before, and it feels like a matter of time before Pacius starts scoring, and the likes of David Choinière and Tristan Borges find their confidence. Forge have earned the right to never, ever be counted out, and they’ll continue to be a CPL powerhouse, but might the gap be closing a little?