2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #95
Vancouver FC vs. Forge FC
September 21, 2024 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET
Willoughby Community Park in Langley, British Columbia
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

The race towards the end of the Canadian Premier League regular season continues out in Langley, as Vancouver FC gets set to host Forge FC at Willoughby Community Park on Saturday.

Their fourth and final meeting of the regular season, it promises to be a big match for both teams, who enter this game in need of a victory, for different reasons.

For Forge, they can become the first CPL side to book their spot in the playoffs with a win, giving them the security of already having a spot in the postseason assured with four games to go. Currently first in the title race, it’d also allow them to maintain a key edge in that battle, showing why they’ll be eager to find a victory in Langley this weekend.

Meanwhile, for Vancouver, they’ll be looking to climb back into a playoff spot altogether, as Pacific’s midweek draw with the Halifax Wanderers knocked Vancouver down to sixth place in the table. After spending most of the season in the top five, Vancouver will want to return to that perch as soon as possible, so look for them to try and get back on track with a key win.

Speaking of Vancouver, however, they’ll also be looking to find some form, too, as they enter this game fresh off three straight defeats. Having been outscored 5-0 across those three matches, it’s been a tough stretch for them, and they’ll want to put that behind them with a strong performance.

At this time of the season, it’s all about how you finish, so Vancouver will look to ensure that they put that stretch behind them and end the campaign off on a high note with some wins, starting with this weekend.

“I love playing Forge. It’s always for me, one of the matches that brings the best out of our football club,” Vancouver FC head coach, Afshin Ghotbi, said this week. “We feel that they are the standard – they’ve set the bar, and we want to meet that, and we want to challenge ourselves to be better than even our best, to get not only the performance necessary, but the result that we need.”

Returning to Forge, however, they too will be looking to erase the memory of their most recent match, a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the Halifax Wanderers.

Having entered that game undefeated in six matches, sitting with a record of 5W-1D-1L (16 PTS) in those six matches, they’ll be frustrated to see things unfold the way they did.

Yet, that’s the beauty of the CPL. No matter one’s form, it’s important to stay focused on the task ahead, and Forge saw that firsthand in their last match.

Because of that, look for them to erase that loss from their memory as they look to get back on track, knowing that they can take a big step towards their aspirations for this season by officially confirming their spot in the playoffs.

“Yeah, it was a strange one – I’m closing in on six years here, and I don’t think I’ve seen a performance like that from us,” Smyrniotis said after the Wanderers loss. “It was a little uncharacteristic in all parts of the pitch.”

In terms of player availability, Vancouver will be without Vasco Fry due to a yellow card accumulation suspension, but new signing Austin Ricci is available to play, while Forge will be without Daniel Parra for the same reason, although it’s to be seen if striker Terran Campbell will be able to feature.

All CPL and Canadian Championship matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980) as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, through the OneSoccer app and on the fuboTV Canada platform.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Vancouver looking for an offensive spark: No doubt, the big focus for Vancouver heading into this game? Getting going offensively, as not only have they been shut out in three straight games, but they’ve struggled to generate chances in those matches, too. It’s one thing to be held off the scoreboard, as that can happen sometimes over the course of a long season, but it’s important to remain consistent in one’s offensive approach. Unfortunately for Vancouver, however, they haven’t been able to do that, as they’ve only generated 22 shots over those three games, hitting the target just four times. By comparison, Pacific generated 19 shots, including 10 on target, across 90 minutes in Vancouver’s last match out. Yet, Vancouver will know a big key to finding form offensively will begin on the defensive end, as in those three games, they’ve conceded early goals, conceding before the seventh minute in each match. For a team that can be at its most dangerous in transition moments, that’s made it hard for them to get going offensively in each game, as they’ve had to face a steady dose of defensive blocks. Because of that, the focus won’t just be for Vancouver to find some goals, but for them to do so early in this game, allowing them to dictate the game on their terms after having to chase for much of those last three outings.

• Forge looking for response from Halifax loss: Shut out for just the fifth time this CPL season in their loss to the Wanderers, Forge will looking for a similar response offensively to what they put up in the matches immediately following those shut outs. There, they’ve scored eight goals and have a record of 2W-1D-1L, doing well to respond and ensure their attack doesn’t have consecutive off-nights. Because of that, it feels like they’ll have something up their sleeve offensively in this game, with the interesting question being what their set-up looks like. Do they continue to employ more of a false-nine as they have in recent games, with Béni Badibanga leading the line? Or will Jordan Hamilton slot in as more of a natural striker? Certainly, one thing’s for sure – no matter who starts, it feels like Forge will look to send a message offensively, knowing that they’ll want to avoid being kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time this CPL season. With the sort of firepower they have at their disposal, they’ll feel confident they can find the goals they need, but they know it’s going to need to start with their offensive leaders, who will be hungriest after not finding the net against the Wanderers.

• The battle of Vancouver’s home form vs. Forge’s road form: It’s been a tough stretch for Vancouver at home, as they enter this game with a record of 1W-1D-5L (4 PTS) in their last seven home games. With just two home matches left on their schedule, they’ll be looking to change that, quickly, as they will know that picking up six points from those two matches could be massive in terms of their playoff hopes, especially if they can continue to be a plucky side away from home. The good news for them? Forge have struggled on the road this season, entering this game with just two wins and four draws from 11 road games, and coming off their heavy loss away to Halifax. They’ll feel confident heading into this match, however, as one of their two road wins came against this Vancouver side in Langley last month, so look for them to build on what they showed in that game as they chase road win #3. On the flipside, Vancouver will want to ensure they don’t get a repeat of that game, which will certainly provide them with extra motivation, especially given their recent run at Willoughby Community Park.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Vancouver FC: Irving; Chung, Romeo, Campagna, Cameron; McDonnell, Rommens, Garcia; Ricci, Díaz, Sellouf

Forge FC: Kalongo; Samuel, Achinioti-Jönsson, Metusala, Owolabi-Belewu; Hojabrpour, Bekker; Choinière, Schiavoni, Borges; Badibanga

ALL-TIME SERIES

Vancouver FC wins: 2 || Forge FC wins: 3 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

Aug. 18, 2024 — Vancouver FC 1-2 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“We expected it. After you lose three games in a row, you expect to drop, but I believe that (the playoff line) is within our reach. I think all four teams that are fighting for that final spot all have a shot at it, and every point is going to count, and I’m hoping that we use this to inspire a great performance tomorrow and get ourselves back up there after the game.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

“You’re at the top of the table for a reason, and the players in that room are the ones that do it, but you have to make sure that you learn from these situations and make sure that the concentration is at its highest. Most of those guys in that dressing room have played in some of the biggest games that have been played by a club in this country, so it’s there, just make sure it (the HFX loss) doesn’t happen again.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis