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PREVIEW: FC Edmonton vs. Forge FC – Match #84

Canadian Premier League — Match #83
FC Edmonton vs. Forge FC
October 2, 2019 — Clarke Field (9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT)
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca

FC Edmonton may be out of the running for the Canadian Premier League Finals, but there’s still plenty to play for as the Fall leader comes to Clarke Field.

Fresh after clinching a spot in Finals 2019, the Hamiltonian outfit travels to Edmonton to take on a team that hasn’t exactly been easy for them to play against in the past; the Eddies are one of the few teams that have actually gotten the better of the top two in the Fall table, having won two, drawn once, and lost once against Forge over four encounters.


RELATED READING: ‘We’re playing for something’: Paulus eyes 3rd place after FCE’s Fall elimination


As such, you can be sure Forge will meet a motivated Edmonton team looking to wrap up their fifth and final encounter with a definitive win. Confidence will be high in the Eddies camp, particularly in the backline, with centre-back Amer Didic earning a call-up to the Canadian men’s national team for a CONCACAF Nations League match against the United States (Oct. 15 at BMO Field, 7:30 p.m. ET, available on OneSoccer).

The Eddies will also want to bring to a halt Forge’s run of 12 matches without a loss, and will look for another three points at home to humble the league leaders … even if that does open the door for Albertan rivals Cavalry to leapfrog to the top with a win over Valour FC in their follow-up fixture. Will Paulus turn to his 4-3-3 for this encounter? With Easton Ongaro and Tomi Ameobi both in scoring form and both seeking a start at centre-forward, competition for spots is heating up, too.

What’s up next for these two, then? The Eddies next take on Valour FC, travelling to Winnipeg for the occasion (Oct. 5, 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. MT, available on OneSoccer). One day later, Forge heads back to Tim Hortons Field for an all-Ontario encounter with York9 FC (Oct. 6, 3:30 p.m. ET, available on OneSoccer).

KEYS TO THE MATCH

  • Be fearless: FC Edmonton has everything to gain and nothing to lose in this matchup, so it’s time to see some expressive creativity from Jeff Paulus’ side. There’s no reason to hold back on the free-flowing, attacking football, even if the risk of conceding increases with a touch more reckless abandon. If there’s ever a match for the Eddies to truly show themselves off, this is it; a spirited contest against tough competition in a match that has some meaning, but also a matchup that has been kind to them. The Eddies may have Forge’s number by the end of 90 minutes.
  • Win the middle: Forge’s midfield trio will likely have an advantage over Edmonton’s, so winning the middle of the park is the first step to controlling the flow and tempo of the match, which is exactly what Bobby Smyrniotis’ side loves to do. This zone has been particularly tough for the Eddies in the past, but with the likely absence of Alexander Achinioti Jonsson in the middle, there is a little more breathing room, even if you do still have to contend with Elimane Cisse’s tireless engine.
  • Celebrate the highs: In the end of the day, Clarke Field is in for 90 minutes of football between two tough outfits, and with the news of Amer Didic earning a CanMNT call-up hanging in the air, why not use the occasion to celebrate soccer in the city of Edmonton? This has been an up-and-down year for all the Canadian Premier League outfits, but as the resident senior among the crop of seven new teams, it’s time for the Eddies to reflect back on this journey and celebrate the moments that matter. Didic in Canada red? Atta boy, Eddies, and kudos to Mr. Jeff Paulus.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

FC Edmonton: Dylan Powley; Son Yongchan, Mele Temguia, Amer Didic, Allan Zebie; Edem Mortotsi, Ramon Soria, Ajay Khabra; Oumar Diouck, Tomi Ameobi, Ajeej Sarkaria

Forge FC: Triston Henry; Jonathan Grant, Daniel Krutzen, David Edgar, Kwame Awuah; Elimane Cisse, Giuliano Frano, Kyle Bekker; Chris Nanco, Anthony Novak, Tristan Borges

Buy single game tickets here!
Buy single game tickets here!

HEAD TO HEAD

May 29 – Forge FC 2-0 FC Edmonton
June 26 – FC Edmonton 1-0 Forge FC
July 6 – Forge FC 1-2 FC Edmonton

July 27 – FC Edmonton 1-1 Forge FC 

STATS LEADERS

Tristan Borges – 11 goals (Forge FC)
Easton Ongaro – 7 goals (FC Edmonton)

INJURIES

Tony Tchani (FC Edmonton) – Doubtful
Randy Edwini-Bonsu (FC Edmonton) – Questionable
Bruno Zebie (FC Edmonton) – Questionable
Alexander Achinioti Jonsson (Forge FC) – Questionable

INTERNATIONAL DUTY

Amer Didic (CanMNT, Oct. 15 – will be available)

SUSPENSIONS

None

ACCUMULATION
(Players are suspended for one match 14 days after accumulating a 4th Yellow Card)

Kwame Awuah (Forge FC) – 4 (will miss Oct. 12 vs. York9)
Amer Didic (FC Edmonton) – 3
Tomi Ameobi (FC Edmonton) – 3
Ramon Soria (FC Edmonton) – 3
Mele Temguia (FC Edmonton) – 3
Bertrand Owundi (Forge FC) – 3

REFEREES

Referee: David Barrie
ARs: Peter Manastyrsky & Erina Cho
4th Official: Giancarlo Pavone