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Oct 26, 2019; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Forge FC midfielder Tristan Borges (19) celebrates after scoring against Cavalry FC in the first half of a Canadian Premier League soccer final match at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports for CPL
Ten of the biggest Forge FC matches held at Tim Hortons Field
2022-10-20
by
Benedict Rhodes, CanPL.ca Contributor (@BTFR17)
News

On Sunday afternoon, Forge FC will host Cavalry FC at Tim Hortons Field for the second leg of their Canadian Premier League semifinal.

Tim Hortons Field is no stranger to important matches involving the Hammers — matches which include the first leg of the inaugural 2019 CPL Finals against Cavalry, and a Canadian Championship final against Toronto FC. Only time will tell what happens in Sunday’s match, but it has all the potential to be an instant classic — the fiercest rivalry in the league with a spot in the Final on the line. On paper it doesn’t get much more exciting than that.

Here are ten of the biggest matches held at the stadium affectionately known as the Donut Box, in chronological order.

April 27, 2019 — The start of a new era in Canadian soccer

We start all the way back in the inaugural 2019 season, and the first match in Canadian Premier League history.

The match that officially kicked off the first campaign was contested by a pair of provincial foes — the first 905 Derby between Forge FC and York United, then known as York9 FC. It was truly a celebration of a new era in Canadian soccer, with a large contingent of away fans among the 17,611 filling the stadium in Hamilton.

York’s Ryan Telfer scored the first goal in league history with his strike just three minutes in, but Forge’s Kadell Thomas would cancel it out in the 78th minute with Forge’s first ever goal. York captain Manny Aparicio would also get the unwanted accolade of being the first player to be sent off — given his marching orders in the 95th minute after referee David Gantar showed him a second yellow card.

The sides would split the points with a 1-1 draw, and Forge would go on to win the North Star Shield — but more on that shortly.

August 22, 2019 — Forge defeat a top Concacaf club at home

Qualification for the 2019 Concacaf League was contested by a trio of CPL clubs during the 2019 Spring Season — Forge, Valour FC and FC Edmonton. It was a mini league table of their own essentially, based on the results of their matches against each other. Forge finished first, winning three of their four matches, with FC Edmonton in second at 2-0-2 and Valour in third at 1-0-3.

As a result, Forge became the first Canadian club to compete in a continental competition — the 2019 Concacaf League. They won their preliminary round tie against Guatemalan club Antigua GFC — 2-1 on aggregate after a 2-1 win at Tim Hortons Field and a 0-0 draw in Guatemala City — but their next challenge would be even tougher, and their (first leg) feat much more impressive.

Forge were up against Honduran powerhouses CD Olimpia in the Round of 16. Olimpia were the winners of the first edition of the Concacaf League in 2017, and were going to provide a tough challenge for the Hammers, but in the first leg at Tim Hortons Field the home side would come away victorious. Chris Nanco scored a fourth-minute goal to take a lead that they would hang onto for the rest of the match — a resilient victory against a difficult opponent.

The second leg in San Pedro Sula — at the extremely unforgiving Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, as Canadian men’s national team fans may remember — was less successful, as Forge lost 4-1, and 5-2 on aggregate. The first leg, however, was proof enough that Canadian clubs, especially Forge as we have come to find out in future seasons, could pick up results continentally.

Aug 22, 2019; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Forge FC defender Klaidi Cela (16) battles for the ball against CD Olimpia midfielder Matias Morales (31) during a game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 22, 2019; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Forge FC defender Klaidi Cela (16) battles for the ball against CD Olimpia midfielder Matias Morales (31) during a game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports

October 6, 2019 — A lengthy unbeaten run continues as York visit again

The 2019 Fall Season was a magical time in Hamilton. Forge were flying high, and would only lose three of their 18 matches between July 6 and the end of the regular season, including a lengthy unbeaten streak in the middle.

They lost the first match of those 18, as well as the second- and third-last matches, with a 14-game unbeaten run in league play in between. In that span they won 10 times, racking up the points and beating every other team in the CPL — other than FC Edmonton, who handed Forge their last loss before that streak.

The 14th and final match in their unbeaten run came at home, against York9 FC. Tristan Borges — who would go on to sweep the CPL Awards by picking up the Golden Boot, Best U-21 Canadian Player of the Year, and overall Player of the Year honours — scored from the penalty spot for his 12th goal of the season in the 71st minute.

It would be the lone goal in the match, but the Nine Stripes would get their revenge six days later with a 4-0 thrashing at York Lions Stadium over the Hammers which included a goal from Diyaeddine Abzi, who gave up the penalty in Hamilton.

October 26, 2019 — First leg of the inaugural CPL Finals

As promised, let’s talk about the inaugural Canadian Premier League Finals.

The match wasn’t free of controversy. Cavalry defender Joel Waterman was sent off in the first half for a handball in the penalty area, leading to a penalty that Golden Boot winner Tristan Borges would see stopped by Goalkeeper of the Year Marco Carducci.

Borges scored what would be a fantastic winning goal later in the half, despite protests that the ball had gone out of bounds in the buildup, before the Forge star was himself shown a red card in the second half for an altercation in midfield — all of this in front of more than 10,000 people in Hamilton.

Got all that? It was a chaotic match that is one of the most memorable from that first CPL season.

Forge would go on to win the second leg at ATCO Field 1-0 as well, becoming the first team to lift the North Star Shield with a 2-0 aggregate victory.

August 8, 2021 — A celebration 650+ days in the making

Forge would go onto win the North Star Shield again in 2020, repeating as the CPL champions with a 2-0 victory over HFX Wanderers in the final, but nobody was there to see it.

With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, the 2020 season was played on Prince Edward Island, in a bubble environment nicknamed The Island Games. After eleven matches The Hammers were crowned champions at UPEI Alumni Field in Charlottetown, and while they celebrated it was without their fans for the second year in a row.

After another bubble, this time in Winnipeg, The Hammers finally returned home on August 4, 2021 — 648 days after their previous home game. That game, while notable for being the first one back at home, would end in a 1-0 defeat to the (renamed from the season prior) York United.

Four days later, however, was the day that the club and its fans alike had been waiting for — a chance to celebrate the 2019 and 2020 championships. Banners were raised, shields were lifted, and fireworks were shot into the Hamilton sky. There were celebrations on the pitch as well, as Forge beat Atlético Ottawa 2-0 in their first trip to Hamilton.

Mo Babouli and Garven Metusala both found the back of the net late in the first half, and the 10-men Ottleti side were unable to get back into the game.

October 27, 2o21 — A dramatic Canadian Championship defeat

After beating Valour FC in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Canadian Championship, Forge were up against their biggest challenge yet domestically, as they were drawn against an MLS side for the first time in the semifinals, CF Montreal. With Cavalry FC (2019) and Pacific FC (earlier in 2021) both beating MLS opposition before in the Canadian Championship having both downed the Vancouver Whitecaps, an upset at Tim Hortons Field was certainly not out of the realms of possibility.

For a lot of the match, The Hammers looked like the better side. They didn’t back down from the fight and were attacking with the same confidence and urgency that they would in any league match against equal opposition. A goal would never come in regulation time for either side however, and penalties would be needed to split the two.

What came next was no ordinary shootout, but one that required eleven shots each — all the way down to the goalkeepers. Both sides started out by scoring just one goal from their first three shots, with Daniel Krutzen scoring for Forge and Lassi Lappalainen for the visitors. Future Atlético Ottawa star Ballou Tabla was among those to shoot and miss in the early rounds.

Elimane Cissé and Kyle Bekker scored the next two shots, but Montreal was again equal to it after five rounds, before both sides missed their sixth shots. What followed was five more rounds of shots, each more intense than the last. David Choinière, Joshua Navarro, Dominic Samuel and Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson all scored in a row for Forge.

Montreal would not quit and scored their four as well, including one from former Cavalry defender Joel Waterman, who as you’ll remember was sent off in front of that same net two years prior in the CPL final. With his goal, only two players hadn’t yet taken a shot — Forge goalkeeper Triston Henry, and CF Montreal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza.

Henry’s shot was stopped by Breza, before the youngster stepped up himself and beat his CPL counterpart, winning the match for the visitors. Montreal would go on to win the competition with a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC at Stade Saputo.

It was a crushing defeat for Forge. They had put in one the best performances ever from a CPL club, but it still wasn’t enough. And it wouldn’t be the last time…

November 2, 2021 — A miraculous Concacaf comeback

Forge’s deep run in the 2021 Concacaf League was a memorable one for a few reasons — the club confirmed that they have the potential to be a perennial contender on the continent, and they qualified for the 2022 Champions League — but one match in particular stands out, the second leg of the quarterfinal against Costa Rican club Santos de Guápiles.

Down 3-1 after a frustrating first leg in San Jose, The Hammers made a miracle comeback in the return fixture in Hamilton, overturning their deficit to come away with a 4-3 win on aggregate. Omar Browne opened the scoring with one of the nicest goals you’ll ever see — a long-range shot with his first touch that went off the underside of the crossbar, giving Forge a 1-0 lead going into the break.

Mo Babouli doubled the lead in the 65th minute, a tally that would have officially sent Forge through on away goals, but Joshua Navarro confirmed the victory with a late goal against his compatriots.

Forge would be knocked out in the semifinals on away goals, after a 2-2 draw against Motagua in Hamilton preceded a 0-0 draw in Tegucigalpa.

December 5, 2021 — 2021 Canadian Premier League final 

Forge made it to the CPL final for the third time in a row in 2021, and like the first leg in 2019, the final was in held in Hamilton. After beating York United at Tim Hortons Field, and Pacific FC beating Cavalry FC at ATCO Field, the Tridents made the trip east to play in their first ever shot at silverware.

It was an tight match between two very strong defensive teams, and a match that had all of the intensity and feistiness that a final deserves. The first half came and went without a goal, despite Forge’s dominance in the shot count — it would end 17-6 in that category, but only two shots each hit the target, and a goal would never come for the home side.

Alessandro Hojabrpour, an unlikely source of goals, scored the winner in the 59th minute, a glancing header from a free kick into the penalty area that secured The Tridents their first CPL title.

Hojabrpour, as well as teammate Terran Campbell, would swap Pacific for Forge together in the offseason following their victory over The Hammers in one of the most surprising transfers in CPL history. There’s still a possibility they could meet each other in the 2022 final one year later which, if the two sides do meet, would take place at Tim Hortons Field.

February 16, 2022 — The CPL’s first foray into the Champions League

As a result of their deep run into the 2021 Concacaf League, reaching the semifinals, Forge FC became the first Canadian Premier League club to qualify for the Concacaf Champions League.

They were drawn against a tough opponent, Mexican giants Cruz Azul, but as was the case against CF Montreal and Toronto FC, they didn’t fear the task in front of them. Forge battled hard, but despite their best efforts were unable to pick up a result on a cold night in the Hammer.

It took a mistake on a free kick to beat Forge, the lone goal scored by Romulo Otero after the ball he struck took a bounce off the turf that beat Triston Henry, but Forge gave a good account of themselves in the CPL’s first Champions League match.

They would lose the second leg — at the world famous Estadio Azteca — 3-1, with David Choiniere scoring the lone Hammers goal, ending their first crack at the region’s top competition with a 4-1 aggregate defeat but a hunger to back to that competition in the future.

June 4, 2022 — 2020 Canadian Championship Final

No, that isn’t a typo.

The 2020 Canadian Championship final was delayed as a result of the pandemic and already-packed schedules for both Forge FC and MLS side Toronto FC, but would eventually be played at Tim Hortons Field on June 4, 2022.

Just like against Montreal the year prior, Forge FC were arguably the best team on the pitch. They started the match incredibly strong, with David Choiniere hitting the post a few minutes in. Tristan Borges missed a penalty in the 20th minute after Choiniere won a spot kick, something that would unfortunately foreshadow the way the match ended.

Borges did redeem himself with a volley on the hour mark, cancelling out Alejandro Pozuelo’s opening goal, but despite their best efforts The Hammers were unable to find another one, and penalties would be required to decide who lifted the Voyageurs Cup.

Both sides scored their first two penalties, with Jesus Jimenez and Carlos Salcedo finding the back of the net for TFC and Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson and Terran Campbell replying for Forge. Deandre Kerr missed Toronto’s third, allowing Woobens Pacius to give the home side the lead, but a goal from Alejandro Pozuelo and a miss from Kyle Bekker left it tied at 3-3 after four rounds.

Jordan Perruzza and David Choinière both scored in the fifth round, setting up sudden death penalties with a major trophy on the line. Kosi Thompson scored his penalty for The Reds, but former Toronto FC academy and TFC II player Kwasi Poku was unable to find the back of the net with his, and TFC came away with the title.

Regardless of the result for the home team, it was still a day a couple of years in the making. There were 13,715 fans in attendance — many of them TFC fans making the trip — one of the highlights of the 2022 Canadian soccer calendar.

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