It's a top-of-the-table clash in Ottawa that kicks off this weekend's Canadian Premier League action, as second-place Forge FC continue their pursuit of leaders Atlético Ottawa.
Both sides come into this game after an emotional week in the TELUS Canadian Championship. Atleti qualified for their first ever semi-final, by defeating 10-man York United in a wild, back-and-forth clash Tuesday that ended 4-3 in their favour (6-4 on aggregate).
Forge, meanwhile, took on Major League Soccer foes CF Montréal at Stade Saputo, and for a second straight year, eliminated them, this time courtesy of second-half heroics by Tristan Borges and Kyle Bekker. Both these sides now find themselves on opposite sides of the semi-final bracket, meaning they could end up meeting in the final.
Before they can worry about that, however, there's business to take care of in the league.
Ottawa come into this matchweek still atop the CPL table with an 8-4-1 record and 28 points. They're far outpacing the rest of the league in goals scored with a whopping 30 in 13 games, and they've got their eye on the all-time scoring record of 66.
Atleti's last action in league play was back on June 28, when they banked an impressive away triumph against Cavalry FC at ATCO Field. Kevin Dos Santos found the net early for them, and CPL Golden Boot leader Sam Salter added to his ledger in the second half in a 2-0 win.
Forge have played a CPL match a little more recently, hosting Vancouver FC in the only game of last weekend. The Hammers were fairly clinical in that game, winning 2-1 with a VFC own goal and a Maxime Filion marker.
That match made up Forge's game in hand on Ottawa, so now the two sides are both at 13 played. The Hamilton club sit in second place with an undefeated 7-6-0 record, which means they're just one point behind Atleti.
So, first place is the reward for the victor on Saturday. Whichever side claims three points will end the weekend atop the table; if it's a draw, Ottawa will retain their one-point lead.
These sides have met once already this year, in somewhat different circumstances. On that occasion in mid-May, Forge hosted Atlético in a Tuesday morning School Day Game, where they traded blows and ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 draw in front of a CPL-record crowd. It was certainly a testy affair; Ottawa star David Rodríguez was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card for dissent.
This time, both teams will hope to strike a more impactful blow against the other, and make a mid-season statement in what could turn out to be a very close CPL Shield race.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
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Quick turnaround from emotional midweek cup ties: Both these sides needed pretty much everything they've got to get through their Canadian Championship ties earlier this week, and each of them did so successfully. It can sometimes be tough to refocus on a league campaign after such high-effort, physically-demanding contests in the cup, but both managers know they can't afford to slip up here. Last season, Forge had a similar situation where they went to Ottawa a few days after beating Montréal in the CanChamp, and they were well off their usual standard in a disappointing 3-0 loss. Bobby Smyrnitois has a strong memory of that game, and knows he needs to ask more of his team this time around in order to keep up with a fast-paced Atleti team.
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Unfinished business from last meeting in Hamilton: Both sides left the last game between these teams a little underwhelmed, feeling they could've walked away with all three points. Ottawa led twice and were frustrated to concede equalizers shortly after both of their goals. Forge, meanwhile, had some excellent chances when playing up a man after Rodríguez's red card; they, too, could've scored a winner. Both of these clubs are very keen to make a statement against the other this year; Atleti want to disrupt Forge's recent dominance, while the Hammers want to prove they're still the team to beat in the CPL.
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Star strikers go head-to-head in Golden Boot race: Sam Salter has scored nine goals in the CPL this year, and 12 in all competitions including his brace on Tuesday against York. He's leading the charge in a vastly entertaining race for the individual scoring title. Forge, meanwhile, have their own entrant into that Golden Boot competition. Brian Wright has been on fire recently, scoring five goals in the month of June to bring his personal total up to seven this year in the CPL. He's two back of Salter, but as he becomes more comfortable in this Forge attack it would be no surprise to see him competing neck-and-neck with Salter within a few weeks. Both strikers could be the difference-maker in what's sure to be a very close game this weekend in Ottawa.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Cloutier, Abatneh, Kozlovskiy; Antinoro, Aparicio, Castro, Dos Santos; Rodríguez, Salter, Tabla
Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Owolabi-Belewu, Nimick, Jevremović; Bekker, Achinioti-Jönsson, Bekker; Ampomah, Wright, Babouli
ALL-TIME SERIES
Atlético Ottawa wins: 5 || Forge wins: 13 || Draws: 4
Last meeting:
June 4, 2025 — Forge FC 2-2 Atlético Ottawa
KEY QUOTES
"If we want to do something in this league, in this country, we need to try to beat the best team in the league. Forge is always one of the best teams, the results say that. I'm very happy for the CPL, because the CPL has amazing teams, amazing players; we can compete against every team in MLS, I'm very happy for that. ... I respect Forge a lot, they have a good team, an amazing coach. But if we want to be one of the best teams in this league, we need to start to win these kinds of matches." -- Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía
"We’ve got a lot of new players in this locker room. When you win the series on Wednesday, it allows those new players to understand the importance of Forge, and the aura around our club and our think-big mentality. It helps push a lot of these newer guys, where they understand now they’re part of these moments as well." -- Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
