| Final Score: York United FC 1-2 Forge FC Goalscorers: Borges 14', Filion 54'; López 38' Game of the 2025 season: 69 CPL Match: 664 |
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Match in a minute or less
Forge FC stretched their astonishing unbeaten streak to 18 Canadian Premier League matches on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, as they took down 905 Derby rivals York United to remain atop the league table.
The Hammers opened the scoring just 14 minutes in, as Tristan Borges slotted home from inside the box. York equalized before halftime thanks to a superb run and finish by recent newcomer Leonel López, but the visitors reclaimed the lead soon after the break. Maxime Filion smashed a loose ball into the open goal after a good run into the box by Noah Jensen, and Forge seized a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
So, Forge ensured they'll end the weekend in first place, while the Nine Stripes stayed in fourth — at least until the Halifax Wanderers play, later on Saturday.
Three Observations
Forge flex depth, confidence ahead of CanChamp semi
Life is good for Forge FC attackers at the moment. After five different players scored in last week's win over Valour FC, the Hammers remained dangerous on Saturday at York and made good use of their chances.
Bobby Smyrniotis opted to make a few changed to his lineup for this game. Maxime Filion made just his second ever start for the club, Noah Jensen came into the XI, and — perhaps most importantly — Alessandro Hojabrpour returned to the starting lineup for the first time since June 22.
That meant usual starters like Kyle Bekker, Mo Babouli and Brian Wright dropped to the bench; they all still contributed as substitutes later in the day, but Smyrniotis was able to spare them the bulk of a very difficult shift in the heat of York Lions Stadium.
Forge take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final this Wednesday night, so having some key players slightly fresher will be a boon to Smyrniotis' side.
Of course, the quality of players Smyrniotis is able to bring in when he rotates is high; much of his bench on Saturday comprised players that would start for most CPL sides. However, as he has pointed out, the critical thing for Forge is that any player who comes into the team has full understanding of the club's tactical identity and commits to the role they're assigned.
Forge did well on Saturday to manage the tempo of the game; they came out strong to score early, having seen York frustrate a possession-heavy Atlético Ottawa last week in a 0-0 draw. Once Forge took the lead, York had to scramble to adjust their game plan as they had to go searching for a goal.
Overall, stats like possession, passes and duels won were roughly even, but what illustrates Forge's efficiency is how they turned their moments on the ball into more dangerous opportunities: seven shots on target to two for York; five big chances to zero; 1.7 expected goals to 0.59.
As they look ahead to a massive tie on Wednesday, Forge will be very happy with how things are going at the moment.
York changes offer bright spots in frustrating defeat
Coming into the game on a seven-game unbeaten run, Mauro Eustáquio would be hesitant to change too much in his squad, but he made a couple from moves from last week's 0-0 draw with Ottawa.
Leonel López, the club's marquee mid-season arrival, made his first start for York after debuting off the bench last week. His quality and experience, with 139 career Liga MX games plus a healthy ledger of appearances in other top-level competitions, made him stand out immediately.
The 31-year-old has quality on the ball and good vision, which he demonstrated most clearly with York's goal. He picked up the ball in a good but somewhat innocuous area in Forge's half and read the defence well, choosing the give-and-go pass with Gabriel Bitar to run into a pocket of space at the top of the box. He showed his close control to drive into the area on his own and created a shooting lane for himself, then scored with a well-taken shot.
Bitar, meanwhile, was the other change in York's lineup, coming in for Massimo Ferrin on the left wing. He offers a different profile to Ferrin, not quite as quick in transition but perhaps more creative with the ball at his feet. Bitar is naturally a player who tends toward the middle of the pitch as a number 10, which meant he was more likely to drift in from the left.
It's that tendency to drift which put him in position to link up with López for the goal, so those two lineup decisions paid off well for Eustáquio.
However, it was a frustrating defeat for York; Eustáquio suggested they didn't take good care of details in the match, and against a team like Forge that's dangerous. They were somewhat rushed on the ball and didn't get many runners into the box, which meant they created just nine touches in the penalty area from 46 final third entries. Likewise, they put just two of their nine shots on target; six of their attempts came from outside the box.
Borges heating up after injury-plagued first half of season
Last year's CPL Player of the Year, Tristan Borges, hasn't necessarily had the start to the season he'd want; he has missed eight total games this year and has now started just seven of Forge's 22 across all competitions. Until last week against Valour, he had yet to score a goal in league play.
After scoring in a second straight match on Saturday, Borges is looking like he's perhaps had a breakthrough in his form and fitness. That's a scary thought for the rest of the CPL with 10 games left to play; Forge are still undefeated, and arguably their best player is only starting to reach his peak.
In this game against York, Borges had two shots on target and created two chances, with four successful dribbles (from five attempts), seven out of 10 duels won, and a team-high 23 passes in the final third.
"Tristan is one of the best, if not the best, players this league has ever seen," Smyrniotis said of his goalscorer postmatch. "We know the numbers, the performances in all the seasons, so he's a vital player for us. It's unfortunate that for a big part of the season he wasn't healthy."
Starting minutes are not easily won at Forge, but if there's anybody who has earned the right to slot back in quickly it's Borges. He provides something in midfield that the other players might not; given his attacking skillset as a more natural forward or winger, Borges helps create a lot of numerical overloads in the attacking third by popping up in and around the box or the half-spaces. His attacking instinct — not to mention his set-piece ability — gives Forge more ways to threaten a team when he's on the pitch.
What They Said
"Overall they were the better team in details. We were a bit sloppy on the ball, we lost the ball a lot and very easily. Their first goal, that's where it comes from; we have it, we lose it. ... You know how hot it was there today, and for some reason the ball gave us a little anxiety when it was at our feet." — York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio
"That's what we do well, a deep focus of what we have in front of us. Don't focus on numbers, don't focus on records. They're a byproduct of doing the right thing. As long as we can go [undefeated], great; that will always change at some point in the future, hopefully that happens way down the line. It's something the players take pride in, you don't know when you get to do this again. You fight for every minute you have on the field, just for this, not for anything else." — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Tristan Borges, Forge FC
For reasons outlined above, Borges looked like a true star on Saturday, much more like the MVP-calibre player he's known to be. As he gets healthier and sharper, he'll surely continue to cause nightmares for opposing defenders.
What’s next?
Both sides are next back in CPL action next Sunday, Aug. 17. York head to Winnipeg for a clash with Valour FC (1:30 p.m. ET), while Forge return home to host Atlético Ottawa (4 p.m. ET).
Before then, however, Forge will host the Vancouver Whitecaps at Hamilton Stadium this Wednesday, Aug. 13 in Leg 1 of the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final (7 p.m. ET).
Watch all CPL and Canadian Championship matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.
