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Langley, BC
September 21, 2024
Recap: Vancouver FC 1, Forge FC 3
With one month to go in the Canadian Premier League season, the match between Vancouver and Forge was important for both teams. The Eagles are in a four-team struggle to claim the final playoff spot, while Forge clinched a playoff spot with a win to strengthen their place at the top of the standings.
In their last seven games, Forge has five wins, one draw and one loss, while Vancouver has struggled with two wins and five losses over their last seven games. More concerning is the lack of offensive production in their last three games. The addition of Austin Ricci will hopefully bring some much needed punch to the attack.
The away side were soundly defeated 3-0 by the Halifax Wanderers in their last game, and they would be looking to make amends for that loss.
Vancouver nearly opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when a cross from Paris Gee found Alejandro Díaz unmarked on the far post. His header was unable to find the lower corner after a fine save by Jassem Koleilat.
Forge opened the scoring in the 36th minute with an amazing passing display that drew the Vancouver defenders out of position, leaving David Choiniere unmarked, who slid a low shot into the left corner from seven meters out.
In the second half, Forge's superior passing continued to create more scoring opportunities, and if it were not for some great goalkeeping by Callum Irving, they would have been up by three goals by the 50th minute.
Forge doubled their lead on a spectacular shot into the top right corner by Béni Badibanga, who registered his fifth goal of the season. Noah Jensen finished off the scoring for Forge in the 83rd minute after crisp passing opened up a clear lane for the midfielder to come through and score from six meters out.
Photo credit: Gordon Kalisch / FastTrackSportsPhotography
A late goal by Vancouver FC in the 88th minute by 17-year-old midfielder Taryck "TJ" Tahid brought the game to life, as the home outfit began pressing forward and threatened a number of times in the final few minutes of the match.
With the 3-1 victory, Forge is now the first team in the Canadian Premier League to have clinched a playoff berth.
