August 11, 2023...Preview: Forge FC vs. York United - 2023 Match #76 (from canpl.ca)
PREVIEW: Forge FC vs. York United — 2023 Match #76
2023-08-11
by CHARLIE O’CONNOR-CLARKE, DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR (@CHARLIEJCLARKE)
2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #76
Forge FC vs. York United FC
August 12, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
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The third 905 Derby of the 2023 season brings us back to Tim Hortons Field this weekend, as Forge FC welcome York United
to Hamilton for the second time of the year.
These two familiar foes come into this contest with a bit of a point to prove. Last time they met, Forge routed the Nine Stripes
at York Lions Stadium in a convincing 4-0 triumph, which saw Terran Campbell rocket up the Golden Boot leaderboard with
a hat-trick.
However, the last time York went to Hamilton, it was they who took all the spoils, as Brem Soumaoro’s injury-time screamer
snatched them a 2-1 victory for their fourth win at Tim Hortons Field as a club.
More recently, this has been a pair of clubs each locked in a bitter fight for playoff positioning. Forge, third in the CPL
at the start of the weekend, have an 8-5-6 record and 29 points, having won three of their last five. They’re just three
points off the top of the table, too, which means they’re eyeing that regular season title with just nine games left to go.
Last time out, though, Forge were thoroughly beaten by Cavalry FC out in Calgary, in a 3-0 loss at ATCO Field for Forge’s
heaviest defeat of the season (and indeed the second-heaviest in club history, behind a 4-0 loss at York in 2019).
For this match, the only player ruled out officially for Forge is David Choinière; Jordan Hamilton and Kwasi Poku both missed
out on the trip to Calgary last week, but they may be nearing a return according to coach Bobby Smyrniotis.
York, for their part, cling to the final playoff spot in fifth place — tied on 25 points with both Atlético Ottawa (one spot
ahead on tiebreakers) and Halifax Wanderers (one spot behind). York have a 7-4-8 record but a minus-six goal differential,
as they look to keep pace and secure a postseason place — ideally fourth or above, to ensure their first-ever home playoff match.
The Nine Stripes’ last appearance was Saturday in Ottawa, where they took a point from a wild 3-3 draw with Atleti that saw
them take the lead twice but still, nonetheless, at least get something out of a venue that’s been very difficult for away
teams recently.
There’s plenty of recent history between these two sides, who both won on the other’s home turf earlier this season. Overall,
Forge have the historical edge with 12 wins to York’s seven, and the only ever draw between these two was the CPL’s inaugural
match back in 2019. With plenty of familiarity between the sides, this 905 Derby is sure to be another unforgettable chapter
in this league’s oldest fixture — in fact, Martin Nash said Friday this may be the most important derby for his club since
he took over as coach before last season.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
York hope Wright catches fire at right time: There might not have been a better time for Brian Wright to score his first goal
in York colours than last Saturday in Ottawa. With the recent news that Osaze De Rosario will miss a month due to a CCES
suspension, Wright is likely to be the first-choice centre-forward for Martin Nash in the coming weeks. The former Atlético Ottawa
striker has had a frustrating start to life at York, but he finally got on the scoresheet against his former club which may
lift a weight off his shoulders and allow him to play with more confidence and freedom. The Nine Stripes have fewer goals per
game than Atleti or Halifax, the two sides they’re tied with on points, but if Wright can start smashing them in down the stretch
they might be able to edge above. “It’s good that he finally got it because it’s a monkey off his back, but he’s had a lot
of good games this year and solid performances, just wasn’t finding the net,” Nash said of Wright’s season so far. “As long
as he concentrates on doing the main job of a forward, holding up play, keeping the team in possession, getting in the right
areas, goals were always going to come.”
Forge seek ‘hunger’ defensively: After losing to Cavalry, Bobby Smyrniotis explained that his side hadn’t been “hungry” enough
on the defensive side of the ball, conceding too cheaply for his liking. Last time they played York, Forge kept a clean sheet
— their first after a seven-game stretch without one — which may actually have delighted Smyrniotis more than the four goals
they scored in that game. Now, this time, the Hammers will be trying to channel that defensive performance far more than their
lopsided defeat in Calgary. “When you show players of this calibre and this quality a few clips of video, they figure it out
themselves,” Smyrniotis said of how he’s addressed the issues in training. “This is a team that when we’re at our best, we’re
scoring goals and we’re keeping clean sheets — I think we have six or seven, whatever it is. That has to be our goal, so that’s
the one thing you reiterate during the week of training, making sure we’re resolute in that aspect. Hungry as we are to score
goals, I’m even more manic about making sure the ball stays out of our goal.”
Race heating up with time running out: It’s happened quickly, but both these teams only have nine games left in the regular season.
They each find themselves embroiled in a tug-of-war for positioning in the table, knowing that any result — good or bad — could
ultimately make the difference for their season. Forge could jump into second place if they win and Cavalry don’t, which would
be huge given the two cracks at qualifying for the final they’d get under the new playoff format; meanwhile, York could put some
much-needed breathing room between themselves and Halifax or Ottawa with a win, and maybe even take a step toward home field
in the first playoff round. At the moment, everything can change in the blink of an eye, which means every single point in the
standings is worth its weight in gold.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Forge FC (4-3-3):
Henry; Rama, James, Achinioti-Jönsson, Samuel; Jensen, Hojabrpour, Bekker; Pacius, Campbell, Borges
York United (4-2-3-1):
De Rosario; Gee, Abatneh, Mourdoukoutas, Ferrari; Soumaoro, Gagnon-Laparé; Bayiha, Babouli, Ricci, Wright
ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge wins: 12 || York United wins: 7 || Draws: 1
Last meeting:
July 9, 2023 – York United 0-4 Forge FC
KEY QUOTES
“You look at a lot of the guys on the field, they may know each other, have some history if they’ve played together, so there’s a lot
of things like that that go into it and the distance between our two clubs is just down the highway. So it always makes for a little
bit of a different match. For us the most important thing, because we never discuss things like that, is how we go about giving
ourselves the best opportunity to win the game and get three points.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
“That’s a sore moment for us and it is quite recent, so we’re looking for the players to have a reaction in the group, because it’s
a massive game for us. Not an easy one, but we’ve been able to go in there and three points this year already so hopefully we can do
it again.” — York United head coach Martin Nash
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