The 2023 Canadian Premier League playoffs are upon us, and five teams have earned the right to battle for the North Star Cup. This season’s innovative new format gives each side a chance, but rewards regular season success with increasing benefits for higher places in the standings.

With the postseason kicking off on Oct. 11 and running to the end of the month, the team at CanPL.ca has put together comprehensive previews for each of the five playoff-bound clubs. To read the rest of them, click here.

Forge FC – 2nd place, 42 points

Record (W-D-L): 11-9-8
Goals For/Against: 39/32
Top Scorer: Woobens Pacius, Terran Campbell (10)
Assists Leader: Kyle Bekker (7)

With 19 returning players from their 2022 CPL championship-winning side, Forge seemed destined to run it back and be dominant in 2023. So far that hasn’t quite happened, as they finished this year with just 42 points, the fewest they have ever managed over a 28-game CPL season. It was also the first time they haven’t had a double-digit goal difference, with 2021 (+15) being their previous 28-game low, with +7 in 2023.

Forge created a lot of chances this season, third in the league in expected goals (41.26) and a league-leading 134 shots on target. Only Valour and Vancouver, however, converted on fewer of their shots than Forge’s 13.22. Defending has also been a bit of a concern, as the Hamilton side conceded six more goals than they ever have in a season.

With that being said, a lot of that is holding Forge to its own lofty standards. The Hamilton side lost just three matches during the last 14 of the season wherein they look much more like the dynastic side that has claimed three of the league’s four playoff titles. Only one team, the Halifax Wanderers, have defeated Forge more than once this year.

How They Got Here

Forge FC have had a bit of a bizarre season where they have been good, but not consistently great. Coming off the 2022 title, they started the season historically well going undefeated in their first seven matches.

After a 2-1 loss to rivals York United on May 31, however, they took a tumble down the standings, losing four, and winning just one, of their next six. They were better over the back half of the season, with a 6-5-3 record, but still will probably feel they left points on the table down the stretch. Their home form has been particularly inconsistent in 2023, as they have not won back-to-back matches at Tim Hortons Field in CPL action this season.

Forge clinched second spot in the table despite losing back-to-back matches to end the 2023 season. They did so by the narrowest of margins, finishing ahead of the Halifax Wanderers on the fourth tiebreaker, which is away goal differential.

3 Key Players

Triston Henry, Goalkeeper

In his fifth season in the Canadian Premier League, Forge FC’s Triston Henry had arguably his best campaign to date. The 30-year-old kept a league-leading nine clean sheets this year. He has made some absolute game-saving stops this season as well, and if he can replicate that in the playoffs he could be a real difference-maker for Forge.

Kyle Bekker, Midfielder

Another day one Forge player, captain Kyle Bekker remained one of the league’s top players this season with an outstanding 2023 campaign. He finished second in the league in assists, with seven, adding three goals. Bekker also tied for the league lead in chances created, with 51 as one of the CPL’s premier playmakers.

Woobens Pacius, Forward 

The most in-form goalscorer in the Canadian Premier League right now, Pacius netted six times in the final six matches of the season. With ten goals and three assists on the season, he was among Forge’s most productive offensive players this year. He is tied with David Choinière for most CPL playoff goals scored in Forge history, with three.

What They’re Saying

“We see it time and time again with the group when things are really on the line and how they step up and play football. I think we have been doing that the last few weeks of the season. Maybe the results aren’t fully the way we want them but the guys have been showing that resilience, and that’s the resilience you need in these games because everything is about 90 minutes.”

— Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

“For us, the playoffs is where we really turn it on, but you can’t just use that as an excuse because we haven’t reached the level we wanted to this season. I know we have it in us, and when we are going we are really good, we’ve just got to bring out the best side of us and hopefully we do it in the playoffs.”

–– Forge FC midfielder Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson

Forge FC will win the North Star Cup if…

…they can raise their game in the playoffs the way they seem to every season. Last year, Forge had just three wins and nine goals scored in their final 11 matches of the regular season. In the playoffs, however, they flipped a switch, beating rivals Cavalry in the semi-finals before a comprehensive 2-0 victory over 2022 regular season winners Atlético Ottawa in the final — even without suspended captain Kyle Bekker.

Bekker, and seventeen other players who were part of that group remain on the team as they enter the playoffs this year, not to mention how many among those have won multiple championships or have Canadian Championship and/or Concacaf knockout experience as well. Playoff matches are a different beast, and Forge have consistently shown over the years how important knowledge of how to win and manage postseason fixture is to success.

Forge, who open the 2023 playoffs on the road in Calgary, have also been excellent away from home this season. They are tied with York United for most road wins, seven, and just 14 goals conceded, the fewest in the league.