It's a clash of the Canadian Premier League titans on Saturday as Forge FC host Cavalry FC for the first time since opening day, broadcast nationally on TSN.
The two sides are deadlocked on 13 points in the table, having each played seven matches. Both come into Saturday's match with streaks they will be keen to continue.
For the hosts Forge, they remain the CPL's only undefeated side after Atlético Ottawa lost in Halifax last weekend with a record of 3-4-0. They avoided going five straight without a win, however, with a 1-0 victory against Pacific FC this past Saturday courtesy of a 89th-minute winner from 19-year-old Hoce Massunda.
Forge won the first meeting between these two clubs back on April 5, a 1-0 result courtesy of a goal from Mo Babouli. Cavalry, meanwhile, had plenty of chances to earn something from that match, firing 23 shot attempts at the Forge net, but were unable to solve goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat.
However, the goals have been pouring in for Cavalry lately. They have won four straight, looking to finish off a torrid May with yet another victory. They have outscored opponents 13-1 during the month in CPL action, and are coming off back-to-back 4-0 victories over Pacific and Valour, respectively.
Wins at Hamilton Stadium, however, remain a rare occurrence for Cavalry -- where they are winless in their last seven regular-season matches. Their lone win in Hamilton in their last ten matches in all competitions came in a 1-0 CPL Playoff qualifying semi-final match back on October 27.
The hero on that day was Tobias Warschewski, which has been a consistent theme for Cavalry in recent months. The German striker has now found the back of the net in 13 of the club's past 16 matches in all competitions. He has 15 total goals in that time, and 17 goal contributions.
Goals, however, haven't traditionally been plentiful between these two sides. While only one of their 33 meetings in all competitions has ended in a scoreless draw, a 3-0 win for Cavalry on August 4, 2023, is the only time one of these clubs has managed more than two goals in a match against the other.
These are the league's two best defensive teams this season as well, with Forge allowing a league-low five goals against this year, and Cavalry just six. They have allowed the fewest shots on target in the league in 2025, with Cavalry allowing just 18 and Forge 25.
Alessandro Hojabrpour has returned to training for Forge this week, which is a good sign as he looks close to returning to the lineup, even if it isn't guaranteed that will happen on Saturday. Tristan Borges, meanwhile, is still a few weeks away.
For Cavalry FC, Tom Field isn't expected to be available for Saturday's match, and they are waiting for an assessment of a knee injury for Bradley Kamdem. However, on the positive front, both Eryk Kobza and Caniggia Elva returned to training this week, while Diego Gutiérrez and Michael Baldisimo are slowly working their way back to fitness.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
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Can Forge/Cavalry keep pace with the league leaders?: It has been incredibly rare over the league's seven seasons to look at the top of the table and not see one of, if not both, Forge or Cavalry. But that has been the case through the early stages of 2025. It is Halifax and Atlético Ottawa who lead the pack heading into Matchweek nine, with 17 points apiece, and Halifax in first place on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Having played one fewer match, Forge and Cavalry sit on 13, and will both be looking to keep pace with the teams ahead of them. This is an important early season opportunity for one of these sides to do just that, while creating a bit of separation with the other in the table.
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Cavalry FC finding joy in transition: It is safe to say the Cavalry has been on the charge over the past few weeks in the Canadian Premier League, not just up the table, but also on the pitch. A quick and decisive attack from their front four has created multiple goals in transition in recent matches, something Forge will have to be aware of limiting on Saturday. In particular, against Valour this past weekend, after opening the scoring from a set piece, Cavalry used Valour's eagerness to get back into the game against them, scoring three goals in transition in the second half. As a result, opening the scoring would go a long way toward Forge's success in this fixture.
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Ali Musse vs. Marko Jevremović: Coming into Saturday's contest, few players in the league are in better form than Ali Musse. The Cavalry winger has four goals and an assist over his past three CPL matches. On Saturday, however, he will come up against a left-back who is quickly proving himself to be one of the best in the Canadian Premier League, Forge's Marko Jevremović. Not only that, but Jevremović played a key part in Forge's winning goal the last time these two sides played back on April 5 with a lovely cross that Mo Babouli headed home. Whatever happens on Saturday, Musse vs. Jevremović could be a key battle to watch.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Owolabi-Belewu, Nimick, Jevremović; Achinioti-Jönsson, Bekker, Jensen; Ampomah, Wright, Babouli
Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Laing, Montgomery, Gherasimencov; Shome, Piepgrass; Musse, Camargo, Wähling; Warschewski
ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge FC wins: 15 || Cavalry FC wins: 10 || Draws: 8
Last meeting:
Apr. 5, 2025 — Forge FC 1-0 Cavalry FC
KEY QUOTES
"With us and Cavalry right now, we're both on 13 points with the same amount of games. These are the games that you can try and separate yourself from the opponent that you're playing. I think there's a lot of time to see where the table will shape up. So I think the challenging thing is the team in front of you." -- Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
"They've been doing really well the past couple of games, scoring a lot of goals, and we've been doing really well defending. So I think it's a great matchup. Obviously, they've got some dangerous players. We're just looking to neutralize that and score some goals at the other end." -- Forge FC defender Dan Nimick
"It's a great way to start round two. As you know, nothing but respect for them and what they've achieved, as you know they bring out the best in us and we do that with them. You know it's not going to be an easy game, and these are the games that as a manager, and as players, you relish and look forward to because it's a battle that has been hardened over history." -- Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
"It's just fun at the moment. We know what we have for quality in our team. I think the only thing that was missing was at the beginning [of the season] not being clinical enough. I think this changed over the past couple of weeks, when we had our chances, we took them and won the games" -- Cavalry FC forward Tobias Warschewski