Forge FC have once again summited the Canadian Premier League regular season mountain.
The Hamiltonians lifted their third CPL Shield — besting Atlético Ottawa by five points — also becoming the first team to do so in back-to-back seasons after clearing Cavalry FC by two points in 2024.
And, in a partridge in a pear tree moment, they also engraved their names on the Shield with a 3-0 win over York United, their 18th win out of 30 meetings in the 905 Derby.
Alessandro Hojabrpour got the day started for Forge early on, in the 11th minute. Suffering from a lack of success on set-pieces at the attacking end all-season, York were hit on the defensive end, in a goal not too different from Hojabrpour’s title-lifter for Pacific in 2021.
Then, on either side of half-time, Brian Wright, playing against his former employers, added two more, each assisted by David Choinière.
York left-back Riley Ferrazzo and Elijah Adekugbe, again slotted in at centre-back, were each muscled off the ball by Choinière and Wright, respectively, on the first. That allowed Wright to finish from close-range. The second, an absolute screamer that Diego Urtiaga was helpless to stop.
Aside from the goals, however, notable moments were actually few and far between. Forge, joining Ottawa in ending the season undefeated at home, were efficient and clear-cut in their execution after Choinière’s own close call after 6 minutes.
Kyle Bekker, speaking after the match, said “[Wright] getting those goals going into the playoffs is important, because you need your number nine to be that threat – and we had [Choinière] creating all game.” Bekker went on to add that Choinière “was fantastic, and that those [kinds of performances] are ‘huge’” to build on.
The complete win, especially over their local neighbours, also comes at a good time. Amidst a slate of 1-1 draws, some of which they excelled in, and others where they couldn’t find their shooting boots. The other win in their last five, predated by losses to Valour and Vancouver Whitecaps, was a 4-0 hiding of Pacific — who themselves fell 4-1 to Valour at home on Saturday.
As for York, who struggled away from home this season — going without a win in their last six matches not at York Lions Stadium — they failed to leave an imprint in Hamilton, beyond an opportunity that was flashed over the bar around the time of Wright’s goal.
Even worse, York will now have to travel for their fourth-versus-fifth knock-out match against Halifax. Although their record against the Wanderers is one of their better records away, the 4-0 beatdown at the hands of the Haligonians on Labour Day this season will be fresh in their minds — both as a lesson, and for revenge.
York head coach Mauro Eustáquio, who went without regular starters Orlando Botello, Leonel López, and Massimo Ferrin, said the next few days will be all about recovery. Confirmation came at the end of the night that Halifax would host the match on Wednesday, October 22 — just four days away. The trio missed out due to minor knocks, but Eustáquio is expecting all three to be available for the crucial clash.
Forge, meanwhile, with the win, will host Atlético Ottawa in the league’s championship semi-final. They’ll vie for the right to host the Final on Sunday, November 9.
Forge head coach Bobby Smyrniotis, no stranger to playoff football, commented after the match that although he suspects his players would enjoy the night — “more than on the field” — that they know it will be “about the margins”. And, with their clinical nature tonight, backed by a potentially season-defining performance from Choinière, that they’ll “look to put pressure” on Ottawa in the contenders’ semi-final next weekend.
