2023 CPL Regular Season — Match #62**
** **Pacific FC vs. Forge FC
** **July 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET
** **********Starlight Stadium in Langford, British Columbia
** Watch Live: OneSoccer // Tickets available here
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With just five points in their last five matches, league leaders Pacific FC are mired in their first slump of the 2023 season. Prior to July, the club had lost just once, and were nine matches unbeaten in the league. A busy start to the month, however, complete with a cross-Canada trip to the East Coast and plenty of roster rotation, has seen Pacific collect just two points in their last four matches. In a 0-0 draw with York United last Friday, they were also held scoreless for just the second time this season. They face the only other club in the league that has managed that feat this season, Forge FC, on Friday night at Starlight Stadium. The match will be critical as both sides look to position themselves in the race for the Regular Season title as they move past the midway point. “This is an important match for both teams,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “Everything is very tight in the standings as we have seen throughout the season, ups and downs of all the teams in the league, which makes these games very important three-game swings. It is a place where we have traditionally had a very good record coming and playing.” The first two meetings between the clubs were incredibly close, with Forge defeating Pacific 1-0 on a Woobens Pacius header at Starlight Stadium back on April 30, before a late Djenairo Daniels goal gave the Tridents a 1-0 win at Tim Hortons Field on June 10. Forge are also coming into this match off the back of a disappointing draw at home, as they allowed an 85th-minute equalizer from former player Klaidi Cela to draw 1-1 with Valour. The Hamilton side, however, have arguably been the league’s best on the road so far this season, with a 4-0 victory against York United on July 9. They are the only club in the league to have conceded less than a goal per game on the road this season, while only York have collected as many wins (4) and points (13) away from home. As Smyrniotis previously mentioned, Forge also have an excellent record at Starlight Stadium, with just one loss all-time on the Island in club history, a 2-1 result in their opening game of last season, and have been able to use the small pitch to their advantage. Making Friday night’s clash even more exciting is the fact that after some rotation the past few weeks both sides look to be returning to full strength. After serving his one-game suspension, Sean Young is available again for the Tridents and should be a big boost for their midfield, while Amer Didić, who was rested against York United, will be back in the lineup. Forge, meanwhile, will get a boost to their backline with the return of Malik Owolabi-Belewu and Manjrekar James from suspension. Despite leaving just before the half with injury against Valour, Dom Samuel has been cleared to return to action. Forge, however, will still be without striker Jordan Hamilton and fullback Ashtone Morgan.
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3 THINGS TO WATCH
- **Forge knows that scoring an early goal could destabilize Pacific: **Even before this recent stretch of dropped points, Pacific FC have struggled to start matches on the front foot. The Tridents have scored just a single first-half goal in their last seven matches, one of which came five minutes into first-half stoppage time against Ottawa back on June 30. Starting matches in a better fashion has been a key focus for Pacific in recent weeks, which Forge know gives them an opportunity to deal a significant psychological blow if they can get an early goal on the road. Scoring the first goal has been an issue for Forge so far this season, as they have only done so five times, but they have also scored first in their last two matches, and have four wins and a draw when they do so. “If we can get an early goal in the first half, and really put them on the back heels and make them start thinking obviously that is something that plays into it,” said Smyrniotis. * Can Pacific get back to scoring form?: It hasn’t just been first-half goals that have been an issue for Pacific of late, as goals in general have not come as freely as they did earlier in the year. A 2-2 draw against Ottawa is the only match in the last seven in which Pacific have scored more than a single goal. Part of that is a commitment to defensive solidity over some of the wide-open matches they played earlier in the season, but some of the expressive offensive football that was their hallmark early on in the season seems to have been lost in the process. For his part, however, Pacific FC assistant Armando Sá is not overtly worried about his side’s recent lack of production in front of goal. *“*We have created chances, if we don’t create chances then yes that is a sign of an [issue],” said Sá. “But we create a lot of chances, we have chances to finish games and it is about the process, they are young, they need to find the rhythm again. They are working hard to push to be consistent in a game”. The feeling is that if they keep doing the right things in front of goal, the ball will find its way into the back of the net. A crucial game against Forge would be a pretty ideal time for that to start both for the confidence of the team, and the state of their position atop the table. * **The return of Hojabrpour has added critical stability to the Forge midfield: **It is perhaps no surprise that Forge’s recent uptick in results has coincided with the return of 23-year-old midfielder Alessandro Hojabrpour. The Hamilton side won once, and lost three, of the four straight matches he missed. Back in the starting lineup over the past two matches, Forge have been back to their dominant selves with a 4-0 away win against York United, before being rather unlucky to not earn more than a point against Valour at home. Hojabrpour has given them significantly more balance in the midfield, allowing Noah Jensen and Kyle Bekker to shift further forward and get into dangerous attacking spaces. Returning to his home province on Friday, and playing against his former side, expect Hojabrpour to play a big role in this match for the visitors.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Pacific FC: Baskett; Dada-Luke, Didić, Meilleur-Giguère, Mukumbilwa; Toussaint, Young, Aparicio; Manneh, Sellouf, Ongaro
Forge FC: Henry; Owolabi-Belewu, James, Achinioti-Jönsson, Rama; Hojabrpour, Jensen, Bekker; Choinière, Borges, Campbell
ALL-TIME SERIES
Pacific FC wins: 4 || Forge FC wins: 10 || Draws: 2
Last meeting:
June 10, 2023 – Forge FC 0-1 Pacific FC
KEY QUOTES
“We are ready, we are prepared, mentally strong and we will find again our fire to compete in games and finish games.” — Pacific FC assistant coach Armando Sá “If you can go up in this game that obviously puts a little bit of pressure on the opposing players. But we know that, take away all the past form, they are going to be at their best playing against Forge. That is something that they do so it is not so much about what they have done in the past. They know the importance of this game.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis