2020 CPL FINAL — Match #35
Forge FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC
September 19, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. AT
UPEI Artificial Turf Field in Charlottetown, PEI
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca and CBC

With 34 games now in the books at The Island Games, it’s come down to this: Forge FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC in the 2020 CPL Final.

These sides are no strangers to each other, having played to a pair of 1-1 draws in PEI earlier on in the season, so that streak of stalemates will come to an end on Saturday, with one team emerging victorious.

Forge enters Saturday’s contest riding a five-game unbeaten streak, including Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Cavalry FC that saw the reigning CPL champions punch their ticket for this year’s final.

HFX, on the other hand, is coming off a stinging 5-0 loss to Pacific FC that ended their six-game unbeaten run at The Island Games. However, the Wanderers had already clinched a spot in the CPL final, and fielded a heavily-rotated squad against the Tridents.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Obviously, the winner will be crowned CPL champions and get to hoist the North Star Shield, but there’s much more on the line.

Saturday’s winner will also serve as the CPL’s lone representative in the 2021 Concacaf League.

The CPL champions will also advance to this year’s Canadian Championship final, where they will meet MLS side Toronto FC. The winner of that contest qualifies for the 2021 Concacaf Champions League.

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4 THINGS TO WATCH

• Garcia & Morelli: Player of the Year finalist Akeem Garcia (six goals) and Brazilian newcomer João Morelli (four goals) sit first and third in the Golden Boot race, and have accounted for 40 per cent of the Wanderers’ 15 goals at The Island Games. Two of Garcia’s goals came against Forge in the first two rounds of the competition, so he knows how to unlock their defence. If Forge wants to keep a clean sheet, they have to find a way to contain one of the league’s most dangerous attacking duos.

• Bekker the boss: Kyle Bekker has been outstanding in the centre of midfield for Forge, earning a Player of the Year award nomination in the process. Aside from effectively pulling the creative strings, he’s also chipped in with a team-leading three goals in PEI. Cavalry tried to contain the Canadian international by having Elijah Adekugbe and Elliot Simmons glued to him, but he still found space to work his magic and set up Mo Babouli’s winner. Will HFX’s Aboubacar Sissoko and Andre Rampersad have better luck in stopping the Forge captain?

• HFX hangover: While Forge enters the CPL Final riding a five-game unbeaten run and earned a 1-0 win over Cavalry in its last outing, HFX was pummelled 5-0 by Pacific FC in its previous contest. To be fair, Stephen Hart fielded a heavily-rotated squad and rested key starters for that dead rubber match, as they had already secured a spot in the CPL Final. Still, you can’t help but wonder if that heavy loss stunted their momentum and what kind of hangover, if any, they’ll be suffering from when they take on Forge.

• Battle of the goalkeepers: This match features two of the three nominees for the Golden Glove award in Forge’s Triston Henry and Christian Oxner of HFX. Henry leads the league in clean sheets with four, while Oxner has a pair of shutouts. They’ve both made big saves when needed (including Oxner, who has one penalty stop to his credit) and they could be in the spotlight again on Saturday – the game will go directly to a shootout if the score is tied at the end of 90 minutes.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“We always get the questions about Forge and Cavalry, but we’ve had an easier time beating Cavalry than we have HFX over these two years, so I think that’s something that people miss out on in these games.” – Forge coach Bobby Smyrniotis, after the Cavalry game

“We are a team that nobody expected to be here, and from what I understand, some of the pundits have already written us off.”– Wanderers coach Stephen Hart, after the Pacific game

ALL-TIME SERIES
Forge wins: 1 || HFX wins: 1 || Draws: 4

PREVIOUS MEETING

September 9, 2020: HFX Wanderers FC 1, Forge FC 1

Forge FC and HFX Wanderers FC battled to a draw in their second-round opener, a result marred by a contentious penalty decision that gave the reigning league champs a precious point.

REFEREES

Referee: Juan Marquez
ARs: Gabrielle Lemieux & Stefan Tanaka-Freundt
4th Official: Myriam Marcotte