2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #42
Forge FC vs. Valour FC
June 23, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
Watch Live: Onesoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

For the second time this year, Valour FC will be at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday as they take on Forge FC once more in Hamilton.

The Winnipeg side will be looking for better fortunes than last time, when they largely played well and kept it level at 1-1 toward the 90-minute mark, but Forge’s Noah Jensen came off the bench to score a winner at the death and secure Forge’s third win in a row to begin the 2024 season.

Since then, however, the two sides have been on slightly different tracks. In six CPL games since that win over Valour, Forge have one win, two draws and three defeats for five points. Valour, meanwhile, have played seven league matches in that stretch and have seven points, although they’ve lost four.

Forge come into Sunday’s match quite eager for a win, especially after last weekend’s 2-2 draw in Halifax. In that game, they took an early second-half lead but then fell behind 2-1, only for Kwasi Poku to save a point for the Hammers in the 92nd minute.

It’ll be a fit Forge team taking the pitch at Tim Hortons Field, especially after Jordan Hamilton has returned to fitness and Nana Ampomah has joined the team. Terran Campbell remains out with his injury, and the only other absence is Khadim Kane, who is serving a suspension — but would have missed this game regardless since he’s on international duty with the Canadian U-20s.

Meanwhile, Valour likewise were left frustrated after their previous game, as they hosted Pacific on Friday night and lost 3-2. They went down 2-0 fairly quickly, but showed some excellent resolve to come back and tie the game at 2-2 — but then a Shaan Hundal own goal but the visitors back on top and Valour were left with nothing.

For this game, the Winnipeggers have a mostly healthy squad, particularly with Dante Campbell back in full training — although look for coach Phil Dos Santos to manage his minutes along with Raphael Ohin’s, especially with a game against York United just a few days later as well.

So, as they enter the final match of week 11 in the CPL, both sides sit below where they’d like to be. Forge, with just nine games played, are fifth with a 4-2-3 record and 14 points, although a win could put them level with second-place York United. Valour are a little further back in seventh place, their seven points meaning they’d need to double their total to get into a playoff spot.

However, the standings don’t often have much bearing on matches between Forge and Valour. The only CPL team with more than Valour’s seven wins historically against Forge is Cavalry, who have played the Hammers nine more times.

Forge have won the last two encounters though, and lost just once in 2023. Valour have recently been known to cause serious problems for the Hamilton side, but haven’t necessarily been able to turn that into results.

They’ll hope to change that on Sunday in their final visit to Tim Hortons Field of the regular season.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Valour starting to settle on lineup, identity: This Valour team came into the season with a heavy contingent of newcomers to the squad — in fact, 15 of the players to appear for them this year weren’t at the club in 2023. So, the first few weeks of 2024 featured a lot of rotation and tactical adjustments, as Dos Santos continued refining how exactly he wanted all these new pieces to fit together. Recently though, it seems like he’s begun to settle on what could be his best XI, or close to it. Nine players have started the last four games in a row, and last Friday, Dos Santos named a fully unchanged lineup from the previous week. They were missing Dante Campbell, who should slot into the team once fully fit again, but otherwise it seems Valour are establishing their identity. “I like a bit of flexibility depending on who we play,” Dos Santos said. “But I do feel that we’re finding a frame that allows us to move from. … We’ve been more solid in the run of play, I think that’s a lot to do with the stability that a backline coming game in, game out gives you.”

• Ampomah an exciting secret weapon off the bench: Last weekend in Halifax, Forge fans at last got their first glimpse of Ghanaian winger Nana Ampomah, who had an eventful half hour off the bench in his CPL debut. He made an impact with 15 touches, taking two shots on target and providing the assist for Poku’s late equalizer. It may be a while until he’s fully up to speed at Forge after missing the first few weeks of the year due to visa issues, but Bobby Smyrniotis is happy with what he’s seen so far, and hinted it may not be long before Ampomah can play an even larger role. “One thing we learn more about him each and every day is his professional demeanour, and how he goes about taking care of himself on and off the field, it’s fantastic,” Smyrniotis said. “There’s a reason he’s played so many games in top leagues in Europe, and you see that in him. We just want to make sure we’re moving him along properly here, that he’s in the best situation to help the team where needed.”

• Jordi Swibel remains hot in Valour attack: There aren’t many CPL players in better recent form than Valour striker Jordan Swibel. The Australian forward scored again last Friday, putting him at five for the season — with four of them in his last six games. Swibel is third in the Golden Boot race right now, and he looks to be establishing himself as the reliable goalscorer Valour have been desperate to find for a couple of years now. He’s been developing a partnership over the last six games with Diogo Ressurreição, who has consistently been able to provide service from the number 10 role in behind Swibel. The newly dangerous Valour attacking combination will be a key concern for Forge to deal with; Dos Santos will be hoping Swibel can continue his hot run of form and fully stake a claim to being one of the CPL’s best number nines.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Forge FC: Kalongo; Duncan, Achinioti-Jönsson, Owolabi-Belewu, Parra; Hojabrpour, Bekker; Choinière, Borges, Badibanga; Poku

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Chantzopoulos, Mourdoukoutas, Antonoglou; Ohin, Campbell; Binate, Ressureiçao, Hundal; Swibel

ALL-TIME SERIES

Forge FC wins: 10 || Valour FC wins: 7 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

April 24, 2024 — Forge FC 2-1 Valour FC

KEY QUOTES

“In a matter of two games, you could be second; in a matter of three games, you could be first. That’s the CPL, everything changes very quickly, so you have to focus on the game you have in front of you, and in the moment not look at the standings. We’ve seen over our history that after 10 games we’ve been a team who’s had 20 points, we’ve been a team who’s had 15 points, we’ve been a team who’s had 13 points, it really hasn’t affected the long term.”  — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

“It’s a game that we feel it’s always an exciting one. We like to play these games, so in the group you can sense there’s a sense of belief, a sense of responsibility. We’re looking forward to playing the game.”  — Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos