Preview: York United vs. Forge FC - 2023 Match #13 (from canpl.ca)
PREVIEW: York United vs. Forge FC — 2023 Match #13
2023-05-04
by CHARLIE O’CONNOR-CLARKE, DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR (@CHARLIEJCLARKE)
2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #13
York United vs. Forge FC
May 5, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. ET
York Lions Stadium in Toronto, Ontario
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 //
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The 905 Derby returns this week as Forge FC make the short trip eastbound on the QEW to take on York United. The Ontario
foes will meet for the first of four times in the CPL regular season in a match between two sides perhaps starting to find
their footing in 2023.
Hosts York finally got off the mark last Saturday as they left the nation’s capital with a 1-0 win over Atlético Ottawa.
Star attacker Mo Babouli scored the lone goal with a well-curled free kick that found the net, as York held off last year’s
regular season champions for their first clean sheet of the CPL campaign. As it stands, York sit fifth in the table after
three matches with a win and two losses; now, they’ll look for their first league win at home.
Forge, meanwhile, sit two points ahead of York in a tie for first in the league (though behind Valour FC on goal difference).
After three games they remain undefeated with a win and two draws, having claimed their first victory last Sunday in a visit
to Vancouver Island that resulted in a 1-0 win over Pacific FC.
Woobens Pacius was the goalscorer for Forge in that game, nodding in a cross from Ashtone Morgan in the first half before
Forge shut down their Van Isle opponents to take all three points.
It’s been a good week for Forge fans, particularly with news of coach Bobby Smyrniotis’ four-year contract extension;
York boss Martin Nash was sure to compliment his opposite number’s success in his own prematch comments.
Meetings between York United and Forge were hotly-contested affairs last year, with each team winning twice — once home
and once on the road for both. Their last fixture was a 2-0 Forge win at Tim Hortons Field that saw second-half goals
from Malik Owolabi-Belewu and Aboubacar Sissoko make the difference.
Forge have the upper hand in the all-time series — they’ve won 10 of 17 meetings, including the 2021 CPL semifinal — and the
only ever draw between the teams was the first-ever CPL match back in April 2019, which was a 1-1 stalemate
at Tim Hortons Field.
In terms of squad fitness, both managers are holding their cards close to the vest; York will likely still be missing
a number of figures, but Nash suggested Clément Bayiha might be close to a return. Forge, meanwhile, got captain Kyle Bekker
back last week, with Sebastian Castello and Chris Kalongo being the main injury concerns.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
The Babouli effect: Forge know well just how dangerous Mo Babouli can be, having enjoyed the now-York forward’s services for
several years in 2020 and 2021. In one of his first games for York last year, Babouli dazzled against Forge in Hamilton, scoring
once and creating a host of other chances in a 3-1 win for the Nine Stripes. Early in this season, Babouli has been good for
York but as the club continues trying to find its open-play attacking rhythm they’ll want Babouli at the top of his game.
He has the ability to take over a match almost single-handedly, so look for him to be a major focus of Forge’s game plan.
Pacius heating up for Forge: The 21-year-old Woobens Pacius has been in good form to start the season, and he’s now scored
in three consecutive games including Forge’s Canadian Championship win over FC Laval. They haven’t been the prettiest goals
— a deflection against Halifax and a header at Pacific that snuck through the goalkeeper — but they were an equalizer and
a match-winner, respectively. Pacius has shown that when he gets hot, few in the CPL are better than him; last season,
he went on a torrid run in July with six goals in four games, and again in the playoffs he scored in both legs of the semifinal
after a dry spell to push Forge into the Final.
York balancing striker rotation: If Forge’s centre-forward has begun to heat up, that has yet to happen for any of York United’s.
Osaze De Rosario, who scored 12 goals last season, hasn’t opened his 2023 account yet — but he hasn’t even necessarily been the
everyday starter, either, with off-season acquisition Brian Wright starting each of York’s three CPL matches and De Rosario
starting just one. De Rosario is tied for the league lead in shots with six, but he has yet to bury one. York boss Martin Nash
will be eager to see one or both (or all three, including Austin Ricci) of his strikers get going soon.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
York United: Giantsopoulos; Gee, Grant, Soumaoro, Faye; Adekugbe, Baldisimo; Ferrari, Babouli, Dos Santos; De Rosario
Forge FC: Henry; Rama, James, Achinioti-Jönsson, Morgan; Hojabrpour, Bekker, Sissoko; Choinière, Pacius, Borges
ALL-TIME SERIES
York United wins: 1 || Forge wins: 10 || Draws: 1
Last meeting:
October 1, 2022 — Forge 2-0 York United
KEY QUOTES
“[Forge] have obviously been the best team since the inception of the league and still have a lot of the same players which are
quality, so we’ve got to be very good defensively. We’ve got to make sure we’re organized and work hard, first and foremost.”
— York United head coach Martin Nash
“We’ve seen two versions of York this year; one version the first couple of matches and a much different version in the last game
against Ottawa. York has a lot of quality across the pitch, that’s for sure. … York always play some of their top games against
Forge, doesn’t matter what’s going on in the standings or what’s happening, they’re there to give a fight.”
— Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
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