April 30, 2024...Preview: Forge FC vs. York United - 2024 Telus Canadian Championship (from canpl.ca)

PREVIEW: Forge FC vs. York United — 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship
2024-04-30
by MITCHELL TIERNEY, DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER (@MITCHELLTIERNEY)

2024 TELUS Canadian Championship — Preliminary Round
Forge FC vs. York United
May 1, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, ON Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 //

They’ve played in the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural match, in the CPL playoffs, and 22 total times in all competitions.

On Wednesday, however, York United and Forge FC will meet in the Canadian Championship for the first time, adding a new chapter to the history of the 905 derby. The sides meet in the single-leg preliminary round and both will be keen to kick off a run in the competition with a victory over their bitter rivals. The winner will advance to take on CF Montréal in the home-and-away quarter-final round.

For a Forge side that has now been to five Canadian Premier League finals, and won four times, the Canadian Championship in some ways represents the club’s final frontier. The Voyageurs Cup is the one domestic trophy that still eludes them, one they came within a penalty shootout of lifting during the 2020 Final against Toronto FC.

“These types of games are always special games,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “They’re a game played over 90 minutes that you don’t get back. You either move forward, or you don’t move at all. I think that usually brings out the best in our team, and that’s what we are looking for tomorrow night.”

The first hurdle in their way is a significant one, however, a York United club that are no strangers to success in this competition. The Nine Stripes have never lost their opening round fixture in four Canadian Championship appearances, and have won six rounds in this competition– two more than Forge.

Also of note, York United has never lost to Canadian Premier League opposition in the Canadian Championship. The Vancouver Whitecaps have eliminated them in each of the past two editions of the tournament, including a 4-1 loss in the quarter-finals last year at home.

Beyond keeping that record against CPL opposition intact, York will be out to prove themselves on Wednesday after suffering a humbling 3-0 loss in their home opener against Forge on April 21. The Nine Stripes did rebound well on Friday, however, with a 3-0 victory of their own against Vancouver FC.

York and Forge have met in just one previous knockout fixture, the Canadian Premier League semifinals back in 2021. Forge defeated York by a score of 3-1 at Tim Hortons Field in that match.

The Nine Stripes have quite enjoyed their trips down the road to Hamilton of late, however. York have lost just once in their last four matches, winning twice at Tim Hortons Field and scoring eight goals in that time. That included a dramatic match-winning screamer in stoppage time from Brem Soumaoro on May 31 of last year.

After a 2023 campaign where Forge set club lows in just about every statistical category at Tim Hortons Field, however, they are off to a flying start in Hamilton in 2024. Late goals have secured Forge victories in their first two home matches of the season, and including their away victory against York they remain the CPL’s only side with a perfect record through three weeks.

The Hamilton club, however, might be without key defender Malik Owolabi-Belewu on Wednesday, as the Forge defender is day-to-day per Bobby Smyrniotis with a hamstring injury that saw him substituted out at half-time against Valour this weekend. The good news is that Garven Metusala looked solid in his place in the second half, and Dom Samuel is back from injury and available for selection.

York come into this match significantly healthier than their first meeting of the season with Forge. Brem Soumaoro, Juan Córdova and Frank Sturing all played significant roles in the victory over Vancouver after missing out against Forge the week prior. Oswaldo Léon and Matthew Baldisimo remain sidelined, however, and Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy was unavailable against Vancouver FC through a minor knock.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Can York backline show improvement against Forge?: When they met in league action a few weeks back, York United’s backline were taught a stern lesson by Forge’s fluid, persistent and clinical front line. They scored three goals on 17 shot attempts (10 of which were inside the box) and had 29 touches in the York box. Coming off their first clean sheet of the season against Vancouver on Friday, however, the Nine Stripes looked remarkably different both in terms of personnel and performance. With significant off-season signings Juan Córdova and Frank Sturing making their debuts, York limited Vancouver to just two shots on target and 0.49 expected goals. The team defended better as a whole, with a compact 4-4-2 proving to be incredibly difficult to break down — but they will again be put to the test by a Forge side who have scored the most goals in the league through three weeks.

CF Montréal await the winner in a two-legged quarter-final showdown: Pass this test on Wednesday, and another monumental one awaits the victor as five-time Canadian Champions CF Montréal will take on the winner in the quarter-finals. Both these sides have history with the Québec MLS club, but particularly Forge who have been eliminated by them three straight times. They came incredibly close in 2021, but lost the semi-finals in a dramatic penalty shootout against Montréal at Tim Hortons Field. This would be the first time Forge has faced an MLS side over two legs, however, which brings with it a new opportunity. York does have that experience, with their only matchup against Montréal coming during the 2019 Canadian Championship Third qualifying round. They too gave Montréal a strong test, drawing 2-2 at home on a late penalty, before falling 3-2 on aggregate. Should they advance, both sides will be keen on getting a historic first victory against an MLS side.

Daniel Parra proving to be a difference-maker for Forge FC: Through three games in the Canadian Premier League, CF Monterrey loanee Daniel Parra has integrated with impressive ease into the Forge system. Playing as a left fullback with a license to get forward and tuck inside as a playmaker when needed, Parra has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in the league this season on both sides of the ball. He already has two assists and six chances created, while showing an outstanding ability to progress the ball through dribbling as well with nine completed. Defensively, he has won 24 duels showing a willingness to get stuck in. Against York earlier this season, Parra played a lovely through ball assist as Choinière opened the scoring, before playing in Tristan Borges, who set up Béni Badibanga’s second. Should York want things to turn out differently on Wednesday, they will need to keep a close eye on the Forge defender.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge FC wins: 13 || York United wins: 7 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:
April 21, 2024 — York United 0-3 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“We put in a very good performance going back a couple of weeks over at York Lions Stadium. In many ways that needs to be our guiding light in this match. But we have to expect that there is a team on the other side of the ball that I think is going to be a little more hungry. This is a different game, we know that this gets you into the next round and takes you one step closer to playing for a trophy.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

“We have to have a reaction from the last time we played them. The guys got a taste of what Forge can do if you’re not at your best. We have to be at our best in a cup game, a one-off, we just have to go there leave all our cards on the table and go for a win.” — York United head coach Martin Nash

“It doesn’t matter how good you are in the league, it’s just one game and if you don’t win you get sent home. It’s special especially here that you [can] play against some of the best teams in MLS as well. So it always gives a little bit more excitement” — York United defender Frank Sturing

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