The journey in the 2025 CPL Playoffs begins for both Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa at Hamilton Stadium on Sunday, when the league's top two sides face off in the Championship Semifinal.
Whoever wins will proceed directly to the CPL Final on Nov. 9, while the losing side continues into the Contender Semifinal next week against either Cavalry FC or York United for one more shot at the Final.
Forge and Ottawa, first and second in the standings this year, have seen a lot of each other, but now meet on a bigger stage in the postseason. Although Forge lost in this game last season, they're eager to win this time around and advance to a seventh straight Final. Ottawa, meanwhile, have yet to beat the Hammers this year, but would love to play a Final in the capital.
The match kicks off this Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, on TSN3 and OneSoccer.
Ahead of the game, head coaches Bobby Smyrniotis and Diego Mejía, as well as Forge winger David Choinière and Atleti goalkeeper Nathan Ingham met with the media.
Here are the highlights of what they had to say.
Bobby Smyrniotis — Head Coach, Forge FC
On the importance of momentum, and differences this year vs. 2024:
"You look at the difference between this year and last year, last year I think it was three weeks before the end of the season [we clinched the Shield]. The last two weeks, the team exhaled a little bit and didn’t keep their foot on the pedal. I think that plays a role as you go; momentum, playing games is always a good thing, keeping yourself sharp. Over the last couple weeks, we’ve been very sharp with an away game in Cavalry, and the home game here against York, and that sets a good mood, that sets a good mentality within the players. That’s all good until the referee blows the whistle to start that one, and then you’re in a totally different world."
What challenges do Ottawa pose, and how can Forge approach them?
"They’re a good team, they’ve had a good season. They play a brand of football both on the ball and off the ball, and really haven’t changed much throughout the season, so we’ll see if they change anything up for this game. … These are games where nobody really remembers what actually happened in them, but they remember the result. That’s the kind of mentality we have. That’s why, in the past, you’ve seen different versions of us, and the version that we’ll use on Sunday is the version that gives us the best ability to win."
Thesearegameswherenobodyreallyrememberswhatactuallyhappenedinthem,buttheyremembertheresult.
How does Forge's history of winning and locker room culture help in the playoffs?
"You play to win. Winning is fun, players love it. So why would you want to do it any other way? It’s something we’ve built here over seven years. The guys understand what that feeling is like, and they push themselves. Even though sometimes it could be a little bit direct with teammates, everyone understands why it’s being done. There’s a direct correlation to having a very good environment within your team, to being successful in the league and winning championships."
David Choinière — Winger, Forge FC
What changes between the regular season and playoffs?
"It takes discipline, it takes composure not to get overwhelmed by the moment. Focus on preparing well and making sure you’re comfortable in that moment, and going for it. Honestly, I don’t change anything from any games during the season, it just happens that during playoff time I score more often."
Is this year different from 2024 for Forge entering the CPL Playoffs?
"It’s staying hungry. I would say last year, after winning the season, we weren’t satisfied but I think we stopped being hungry. This year, we know what we want to do, so I don’t think it’s going to be a problem."
What can Forge do to neutralize Ottawa?
"If we can make the game in our advantage and not their advantage, we have a good chance of causing problems against them. We need to be careful of not having too many gaps between our lines and create space for their front three that are dangerous. It’s just about playing our game and not their game."
Diego Mejía — Head Coach, Atlético Ottawa
Does anything change heading into the playoffs?
"A semifinal in the CPL, with all the respect, is just a match. We need to put the focus on trying to play our best football, and that’s it. Nothing changed for us. I think that feeling some pressure is a privilege for us, and that is part of the growth of the players. I feel happy for this match, and for the young players to play in these kind of matches."
What lessons were learned from playing Forge in the regular season?
"The challenge is that Forge is a good team. We had a very good race fighting for the Shield, I think we played really tight in four matches. We lost that match 2-0, but we had a lot of opportunities to score. I think we are on the same page. We don’t change anything, we will play in our model. We will look for the opposite goal. We have to try to control the ball and play in our model."
How important is playoff experience for young players?
"It’s experience for their careers. We talk about the consistency, but consistency with purpose, with goals that force you to step forward. I always try to teach the players to think big. I want my players to be a small fish in a big pond, and not a shark in a glass of water. It’s the mentality we have, and we are playing these kinds of matches because they deserve to play these kinds of matches. But it’s not the end of the movie, it’s the beginning of some of my players."
Iwantmyplayerstobeasmallfishinabigpond,andnotasharkinaglassofwater.
Nathan Ingham — Goalkeeper, Atlético Ottawa
What's the mentality, and Ingham's role as a leader, entering the playoffs?
"The key word’s focus. These games, it’s not like this week we’re reinventing the wheel or anything like that. It’s just making sure we’re sharp, making sure we’re locked in for the whole week of practice. That kind of leads you into the game. Everything we’re doing, I try and do it at a high level, and make sure the guys see that. Try to keep things pretty light in the locker room, which we’ve been doing a good job of, and keep doing what we’re doing. We lost two games over 28, there’s not much to teach at this point. It’s just making sure that we’re at our best version for game day."
How special would it be to bring a CPL Final back to Ottawa?
"I’ve been able to host a final in Ottawa before. It’s a special city, it’s a special atmosphere; I think anyone who was at that game would agree, it was a night to remember. I would love a do-over of that, finishing with a trophy, but you can’t predict these things. It’s just about handling the game at hand, wherever that’s being played. I don’t care if it’s being played in Hamilton, I don’t care if it’s being played in a different country. It’s just showing up and getting the job done."
What are the keys to keep in mind when playing Forge?
“We play each other so much, we know everything about them. We know their threats: Keep Borges off his left foot, don't give Babouli space, manage Brian [Wright]'s runs over the top. Don't let Bekker get his head up. Get the ball over the top, make [Dan] Nimick and Achinioti-Jönsson face their own goal. Put them in difficult situations, let Sam [Salter] bully them and hold it up. We know each other so well, so it's going to come down to the players, to compete level, and just being focused. A lot of these games could've gone both ways."
