July 9, 2023 CPL York United FC vs Forge FC game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday July 9, 2023 Canadian Premier League game between York United FC
and Forge FC played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:30pm ET.

York United FC (green socks and shirts, blue shorts, white names and numbers)

....................1 Niko Giantsopoulos
16 Max Ferrari...6 Roger Thompson (cpt)...3 Tass Moudoukoutas...2 Paris Gee
........18 Molham Babouli...32 Brem Soumaoro...28 Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare
........22 Austin Ricci...9 Brian Wright...21 Michael Petrasso

Subs:...67 Eleias Himaras (gk)...8 Elijah Adekugbe (mid)...10 Oussama Alou (mid)...11 Kevin Santos (mid)
...12 Clement Bayiha (mid)...24 Osaze De Rosario (fwd)...33 Matthew Baldisimo (mid)
team officials:...head coach Martin Nash...assistant coach Mauro Eustaquio...goalkeeper coach Camilo Benzi
...doctors Jim Niu and Hrishov Sarker...kitman John Townsend...athletic trainers Michael Higbee and Laura Ozoria

Forge FC (all orange uniforms, gray names and numbers)

.....................1 Triston Henry
24 Rezart Rama...5 Majrekar James...13 Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson...81 Malik Owolabi-Belewu
......21 Alessandro Hojabrpour...22 Noah Jensen...10 Kyle Bekker (cpt)
.........9 Jordan Hamilton...14 Terran Campbell...19 Tristan Borges

Subs:...29 Christopher Kalongo (gk)...4 Dominic Samuel (def)...7 David Choiniere (mid)...17 Woobens Pacius (fwd)
...20 Kwasi Poku (def)...33 Aboubacar Sissoko (mid)...64 Khadim Kane (mid)
team officials:...head coach Bobby Smyrniotis...assistant coaches Kyt Selaidopoulos and David Edgar
...goalkeeper coach Johan Albert...physiotherpaist Liam Macpherson...kitman Joe Henley...athletic trainer Jacob Miller

Game officials:...referee Yusri Rudolf...referee's assistants Gabrielle Lemieux and Twayne Anderson
...fourth official Ryan Schwenger...(all black uniforms)...referee asssessor John Oliva

First Half:...game starts 7:37pm...York defends south end.
3 min...Forge Campbell almost gets ball off York goalie clearance at 8 yards.
5 min...Forge Hamilton keeps high chip in play on right end line. Forge Bekker blasts clearance from 20 yards deflects
off defender wide left.
6 min...Forge Bekker cornerkick from left has York goalie punch ball upward in crowd of players and catch on the way down.
7 min...Forge Bekker 30 yard freekick from left sideline bounces through players to goalie.
9 min...Forge Hamilton midair rescue on right end line and sends pass over to Forge Campbell who heads 8 yarder over net.
10 min...York Soumaoro wins freekick when a Forge player steps on him at York 40 yard line.
11 min...Forge Borges cross from 22 yards at 10 yard line has York Mourdoukoutas head away from 8 yards.
11 min...Forge Hojabrpour blasts low 22 yarder up middle is just wide left of post.
13 min...Forge Borges is checked off ball at top left of box by York Gagnon-Lapare.
14 min...Forge YELLOW card...Jensen earns it for tripping York Petrasso cutting to middle from left and Petrasso
needs trainer at York 40 yard line.
15 min...York Ferrari makes big check on Forge Owolabi-Belewu long run.
16 min...Forge apply pressure early and Forge Bekker finnishes with chip across from left of box and Forge Jensen
heads 10 yarder over net.
18 min...York Ricci can't win Penalty kick on bump through run into Forge box when he's sandwiched between two defenders.
19 min...Forge Owolabi-Belewu wins freekick on left edge of box when he's bumped over.
20 min...Forge Bekker 25 yard freekick from left near edge of box is over bar.
21 min...Forge Borges low shot from 20 yards on left has goalie dive to right to push away.
22 min...Forge Borges cornerkick from right drops 6 yard box and goalie smothers tap by Forge Campbell at 3 yards.
24 min...Forge Terran Campbell GOAL...Forge Kyle Bekker sends ball in from 45 yards on left finds Forge Tristan Borges
who one touches midair cross from 12 yards on right across box. Forge Rezart Rama misses connecting on diving header
at 7 yards and charging Forge Jordan Hamilton one-touches 10 yard shot from left that goalie Niko Giantsopoulos flies
over to stop on short side post. Campbell runs forward and blasts low 7 yarder down middle into right side of empty net.
26 min...Forge Achinioti-Jonsson taps pass over tor Forge Hamilton and he blasts 20 yarder from slight left between defenders
and hits left post and rebound deflects into center of box where York Thompson stops it, turns, and clears it at 7 yards.
28 min...York Petrasso had received a long pass at 40 yards on left. He cuts towards middle and sends short pass forward
to York Gagnon-Lapare for 20 yard shot from slight left that goalie sprawls to get hand to on left side of net and palm it up
and off top of bar for cornerkick.
28 min...York Gagnon-Lapare cornerkick from left has York player pop header at 8 yards over net.
29 min...York Gee chips 30 yarder from left that defender heads away at 15 yards.
31 min...Forge Jensen hits left post on 18 yard shot from right.
32 min...Forge Terran Campbell GOAL...Forge Tristan Borges on left rolls pass forward from 40 yards to Campbell
on slight left who rolls 10 yarder into right corner of net beating goalie who slid out to 8 yards.
33 min...Before restart, Forge Jensen has to leave the field for a cut to his face.
34 min...York YELLOW card...Ricci earns it for grabbing Forge Owolabi-Belewu breaking upfield along the left sideline
at Forge 40 yard line.
35 min...Forge YELLOW card...Owolabi-Belewu earns it for sliding tackle on York Ferrari at 25 yards on left sideline.
37 min...Forge Rama is injured at Forge 35 yard line.
38 min...York Moudoukoutas chips 55 yarder downfield and goalie on edge of box catches ahead of York Wright.
39 min...York Gagnon-Lapare chip passes forward has York Wright twist and take 15 yard shot that's tipped wide left for throw-in.
Wright is injured on the play.
41 min...York Petrasso bends 28 yarder from left has goalie catch at 5 yards on right post and hang on preventing a tap-in.
42 min...York goalie makes big didving save on 15 yard shot and then player getting to rebound is ruled offside.
42 min...Forge Hamilton is injured at York 35 yard line near York bench and needs trainer.
44 min...Forge Hamilton is injured again at York 45 yard line.
46 min...Forge sub...choiniere replaces injured Hamilton.
47 min...Forge YELLOW card...James earns it for sliding tackle on York Babouli.
49 min...Forge Borges is injured at York 40 yard line winning freekick.
50 min...half ends 8:27pm.

Halftime: Both teams' subs warm up.

Second Half:...starts 8:43pm.
46 min...Forge Tristan Borges GOAL...Forge Kyle Bekker chips cross from middle of center line over to Borges on left
at 33 yards. Borges cuts towards middle and blasts low 22 yarder down middle that hits heel of York Brem Soumaoro
which deflects ball into open right corner of net as goalie had slid to left especting shot was aimed at left side.
47 min...York Wright can't control header and Forge goalie catches.
49 min...Forge Bekker cornerkick from left has ball partially cleared and Forge player blasts from 25 yards that's stopped
before reaching the net.
51 min...Forge player's throw-in is tapped into York box for goalie to pick up.
53 min...Forge Terran Campbell GOAL...Forge David Choiniere cross from right along 5 yard line has leaping Campbell
squeeze between two defenders and head 5 yarder forward and just under bar.
57 min...York sub...De Rosario replaces Babouli.
.........York sub...Santos replaces Petrasso.
.........York sub...Bayiha replaces Wright.
.........York sub...Alou replaces Ricci.
58 min...York Gagnon-Lapare cross from 40 yards on right bends towards goal and just over the head of York De Rosario at 6 yards
and goalie catches on left post.
59 min...Forge Borges is tipped a pass and his 20 yard shot on left deflects off defender and goalie dives beyond left post to smother.
59 min...York Bayiha cross from left has defender head away for cornerkick.
60 min...York Alou cornerkick from right has ball cleared by defender.
61 min...York Santos runs in from left and shoots 28 yarder wide right.
62 min...Forge YELLOW card...Rama earns it for injurying York De Rosario at Forge 30 yard line.
63 min...York Alou 30 yard freekick has goalie palm ball over net.
64 min...Yokr Gagnon-Lapare cornerkick from left has defender in crowd of players head ball for cornerkick.
64 min...York Alou cornerkick from right has York De Rosario at 6 yards on right head into outside webbing of net.
65 min...York Mourdoukoutas is injured at York 20 yard line on west sideline and needs trainer.
66 min...Forge sub...Pacius replaces Campbell.
..........Forge sub...Poku replaces Borges.
..........Forge sub...Sissoko replaces Jensen.
68 min...York Bayiha turns and fires low 22 yarder up middle wide right.
71 min...Forge Owolabi-Belewu is injured at Forge 45 yard line and needs trainer.
72 min...Forge sub...Samuel replaces injured Owolabi-Belewu.
..........York sub...Baldisimo replaces Gagnon-Lapare.
74 min...Forge James makes key header clearance of cross from left into box.
74 min...York Alou chest long cross from left into box but he's checked off ball before he can take a shot.
75 min...Forge Poku chips 20 yarder from left has ball knocked for cornerkick.
75 min...Forge Bekker cornerkick from right has ball cleared.
76 min...York Alou can't get away shot at 20 yards when surrounded by five players in middle.
77 min...Forge Poku dribbles to left edge of box and three way pass over to right has Forge players shot from 20 yards on right
stopped by defender on left side of box who clears.
79 min...Forge Samuel run to left end line and crosses behind net from 10 yards.
80 min...York De Rosario can't win freekick on take before reaching Forge box.
81 min...York YELLOW card...The referee came over to the sidelines at the insistance of the assistant and gives a card to someone
on the York bench. We thought it was to Brian Wright.
82 min...York Alou cornerkick form left has York Santos in crowd of players on right pop header wide right of goal.
83 min...York Alou passes forward on right and York Bayiha low shot from 20 yards on far right bounces for goalie to smother on near post.
84 min...York RED card...Molham Babouli earns it while on the York bench for something he said.
85 min...York Alou 35 yard freekick from right has diving York De Rosario head wide left. After whistle York Mourdoukoutas
kicks ball over end line and it bounces over back fence!
86 min...Forge Choiniere blasts 30 yarder down middle well over net.
87 min...York Bayiha bends 18 yarder on right as he slips wide left of net.
88 min...Forge Bekker centers pass to Forge Choiniere whose 20 yard shot is blocked by defender at 18 yards.
89 min...York Bayiha run to ball on right end line and cross into Forge box is cleared.
90 min...York Mourdoukoutas blocks 15 yard shot near right end line.
91 min...Forge YELLOW card...Pacius earns it for not giving 10 yards on a York freekick near the York cornerflag!
92 min...York De Rosario chips 25 yard shot down middle over net.
92 min...game ends 9:30pm.

Final Score:...York United.........0..........Forge FC..........4..........

Attendance was not announced and I couldn't find it on any of the message boards I look through. I thought it was larger than most of their games probably because of the hundreds of travelling Forge supporters who only had a 2 hour or less drive up the road to get here. With smart driving they could have avoided downtown Toronto and its traffic. Atmosphere was pepped up by Forge getting off to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The game game conflicted with the Gold Cup quarterfinal involving Canada...playing the host USA and I'd say that kept a lot of people at home. The only solution would have been to move the CPL game up earlier but they were pinned in by promoting the League1 Ontario match here all week. Sigma FC vs Alliance United.

Sigma FC vs Alliance United (both teams are the 'designated affiliate clubs' of Forge and York respectively. Sigma predates the CPL with the Forge then head coach Bobby Smyrniotis bringing himself and members of his coaching staff and about 1/4 of their players to form the first Forge roster in 2019. Alliance and York just started their agreement a few months ago. I confirmed with a York official that Noah Abatneh (a teenage defender) is the only player who has been sent down to Alliance to stay in game shape. I was reassured that Abatneh who I saw pregame walking around with his arm in a sling did not pick up his injury with Alliance but it was during a York United practice that he broke his hand.

Forge players also had two shots off the post in the first half or they would have reached their mark even earlier. They were all over York for most of the game.

Referee Yusri Rudolf gave out six onfield Yellow cards (only one to York). He also gave out a Yellow and a Red to players/officials on the York bench.

When the team fell behind with a minimal chance of making a comeback it would be a great time to empty the bench filling the field with U-21s becacuse York is in last place to meet their 2000 minute requirement. The penalty for not making the quota? A fine in dollars but also being disqualified from making the post season.

This game the subs bench had no U-21s except the back up goalie Eleias Himaras.

York is in trouble as someone worked out before this game that they need to earn an average of 109 minutes in their remaining games to make the 2000.

I asked York head coach Martin Nash at the post game press conference about the roster spot now open when the club allowed Lassana Faye to return to the Netherlands because of family reasons. Nash said they are likely to use the spot for an U-21 rather than an international player.

Noah Abatneh was walking around before the game in an arm sling after breaking his hand in training. Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy started the June 11 game against HFX Wanderers and lasted only 9 minutes before being subbed out for injury. He has not returned to the roster. York better start working on this. Two CPL teams have met their season quota already.

Mo Babouli picked up a Red card 27 minutes after leaving the game for comments he made while sitting on the bench. Now he will miss the hoime game Friday against league leaders Pacific FC. I guess the only way to prevent this is for the team to send a substituted player back to the dressing room.

This was the last game of the weekend. York has fallen from second to fourth with a record of 6 wins, 7 losses, 2 ties for 20 points. Forge improves to 6 wins, 5 losses, 4 ties for 22 points and are in third place. Cavalry FC won on Saturday to take over second place. York and Forge have played 15 games each while first place Pacific (25 points) and Cavalry (24 points) have only played 12 and 13 games respectivaly so could easily open up some breathing space with midweek games.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01


York United FC starters


Forge FC starters


York Austin Ricci (22) takes opening kickoff


Forge Jordan Hamilton (9) rushes in toward end line.


York Brem Soumaoro (32) dribbles in midfield.


Forge Kyle Bekker (10) takes freekick.


Forge Jordan Hamilton (9) dribbles out of own end.


The wind has blown part of a sign board down. Telus sponsors CPL. 'All For One' is a TFC II board.


Forge Terran Campbell (14) takes second half kickoff.


York Oussama Alou (10) takes late game freekick. 

Game stats (from canpl.ca)
 
                      York United FC    Forge FC  
Possession                  46.2%          53.8%
Duels success rate          53.5%          46.5%
Aerial duels won            55.6%          44.4%
Interceptions                7              9
Offsides                     0              1
Corners won                  5              5
Passes                     422            494
Long passes                 41             52
Passing accuracy            84.8%          86.2%
Pass acc in opp' half %     71.8%          77.7%
Crosses                     16             14
Crossing accuracy           37.5%          50.0%
Goals                        0              4
Shots                       11             19
Shots on target              2              7
Blocked shots                1              4
Shots outside the box        4              9
Shots inside the box         7             10
Shooting accuracy           18.2%          36.8%
Tackles                     24             23
Tackles success rate        66.7%          60.9%
Clearances                  15             10
Fouls conceded              12             12
Yellow cards                 1              5
Red cards                    1              0

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