Canadian Premier League fans were treated to one of the most unpredictable, parity-filled seasons in the league’s five-year history. But in the end, we’re exactly where you would expect. The reigning champs, Forge FC, will host the regular-season champs, Cavalry FC, in the CPL Final at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Hamilton.
“I’m looking forward to not only the game but the environment that will be here at Tim Hortons Field. We love the atmosphere here,” said Forge head coach and sporting director Bobby Smyrniotis. “(The fans) were excellent travelling to Ottawa last year, so we know they’ll be brilliant on Saturday. We’re asking them to fill this place up and be that 12th man.”
Forge and Cavalry have been the uneven pillars of the CPL since its inception in 2019. The two clubs, led by Forge’s Bobby Smyrniotis and Cavalry’s Tommy Wheeldon Jr, hit the pitch running with roster familiarity thanks to built-in feeder systems and a stronghold on regional talent. That created an instant rivalry, making their meeting in the first-ever CPL Final seemingly inevitable. There, Forge won its first title.
Then came the second… and the third, with a fourth in the waiting. Forge has built a ridiculous 9-1 playoff record over the past five seasons.
Cavalry, meanwhile, will play in just their second Final in search of their first-ever championship.
“We keep writing new history, and that’s what we’ve done tonight. We’ve buried a ghost of the past,” Wheeldon Jr. said after beating Pacific FC to advance to the CPL Final. “It is around Halloween time, so there’s another ghost to be buried, and what better way to do it than go to Tim Hortons Field? (Forge FC) has won three out of four playoff trophies – why not win it in their house?”
You can’t discuss the Hamilton-Calgary rivalry without mentioning Forge’s No. 10. Captain Kyle Bekker has been at the centre of it all. Two weeks ago, his goal against Cavalry in the 1v2 Semi-Final was his seventh all-time against the club in all competitions, leading all players. Bekker has unfinished business himself after he was sent off in last year’s semi-final second leg against Cavalry, preventing Bekker from playing in what would ultimately be Forge’s third league championship.
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Bekker is one of several veterans who have been with Forge throughout their title march. Forward David Choinière, aka Big Game Dave, for his propensity to deliver in key moments, returned to the pitch two weeks ago as a substitute after surgery forced him to miss 10 matches.
“Being injured is one of the toughest parts as an athlete,” Choinière explained. “Your day-to-day changes completely, your routine changes, you miss a lot of training, and you’re a bit disconnected from the team. You feel separated – doing your own rehab and being on your own schedule. It’s really challenging mentally, so I’m so happy to be back at full strength.”
Having a 14-day layoff in between matches is far from ideal, particularly for a club that instantly hit its playoff stride. But for Forge, it’s an opportunity to get healthier. Choinière is back, and his three career playoff goals are tied for the most in CPL history. The person he’s tied with is 22-year-old teammate Woobens Pacius. The dangerous striker finished the 2023 regular season with a goal every 140 minutes – the best in the league. However, Pacius is unavailable for selection on Saturday as he nurses an injury.
Choinière, along with the club’s other day-oners, like Bekker, Tristan Borges, Triston Henry, Dom Samuel, and Alex Achinioti-Jönsson, are missing one element to their bevy of hardware: Winning a championship at Tim Hortons Field.
“One thousand percent,” Choinière asserted. “It’s something we want to do in front of our fans, family, and friends. It’s going to be a special moment. Lifting it away from home is different, but lifting it in your stadium… the fans have been there all year, and that would be a special moment. We’re excited for that.”
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Meanwhile, boasting a bevy of talent that includes the CPL’s all-time leading scorer, Terran Campbell, Forge has become synonymous with an entertaining brand of total-attacking soccer. Consequently, the club’s defensive dominance is often overlooked despite Henry, the 2023 Goalkeeper of the Year, being the league’s all-time clean sheets leader. His 42 shutouts are five better than Saturday’s counterpart, Marco Carducci.
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How’s this for a stat: Forge has never allowed more than a single goal in a CPL playoff match, keeping six clean sheets in the process. In fact, four of those clean sheets have come in a Final. Interestingly, Forge midfielder Alessandro Hojabrpour is the only player who has ever scored against Forge in a CPL final when the club lost to Pacific 1-0 at Tim Hortons Field in 2021.
While the club’s core has largely remained intact over the years, Forge’s newest weapon may ultimately be the x-factor due to his match-breaking abilities on set pieces. Attacker Béni Badibanga, despite not arriving in the CPL until mid-season and only playing 10 matches, tied for the league lead with two direct free-kick goals. According to CanPL.ca’s Mitchell Tierney, Badibanga was among the league leaders in expected assists per 90 minutes with 0.33.
“It’s kind of our duty to compete for championships,” Smyrntiotis said. “Being able to compete for championships is not something that’s just granted to you every year. It just so happens that we’re doing it for a fifth year in a row, and sometimes you have to remind the players because, after a while, they think things will come naturally.”
“We’ve played good football, we’ve won some games, we lose a couple of games, and everything will just work out. Sometimes, that’s a dangerous area to be in. It’s something we’re aware of coaches at the beginning of the year.”
“We’re a team that has accomplished a lot, not only in this league but in every other competition that we’ve played in: Canadian Championship, Concacaf League; sometimes there can be complacency,” Smyrniotis added. “That hunger can slip in year five with the players, and that’s in stark difference to some other younger teams that are rebuilding and have a lot of fire because they haven’t accomplished what we have.”
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Forge is looking to extend its dynasty and celebrate a championship at home with their fans, while Cavalry hopes to slay the orange dragon and win their first-ever CPL title.
Something has to give.
“Ultimately, we really rise to the moment when there’s no other option. When you’re a player with Forge, you must be able to put yourself in a position to compete and play for championships. Now, we want to do it at home in front of our fans, and here we are.” Smyrniotis concluded.
The climax of the dramatic 2023 CPL season will unfold live between two heated rivals inside Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field on Saturday at 6 p.m. Visit ForgeFC.ca/tickets and be a part of history.