2024 Forge FC season
2024 season | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||
Owner | Hamilton Sports Group | ||
Chairman | Bob Young | ||
Head coach | Bobby Smyrniotis | ||
Stadium | Tim Hortons Field | ||
Canadian Premier League | 1st | ||
Canadian Championship | Semi-finals | ||
CONCACAF Champions Cup | Round one | ||
Top goalscorer | League: Kwasi Poku (8 goals) All: Kwasi Poku (10 goals) | ||
Highest home attendance | 14,923 vs. CF Montréal (May 7, CC) | ||
Lowest home attendance | 2,471 vs. York United FC (May 1, CC) | ||
Average home league attendance | 5,153 | ||
Biggest win | 3–0 vs. York United FC (Away, April 21, CPL) 3–0 vs. York United FC (Home, June 1, CPL) 3–0 vs. HFX Wanderers FC (Home, July 27, CPL) 3–0 vs. Atlético Ottawa (Home, August 10, CPL) | ||
Biggest defeat | 0–3 vs. Atlético Ottawa (Away, May 25, CPL) | ||
| |||
The 2024 Forge FC season is the sixth season in the history of Forge FC and the club's sixth season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top flight in Canadian soccer. Forge is the defending CPL champions, having defeated Cavalry FC in the 2023 final for their fourth championship. The club is managed by Bobby Smyrniotis in his sixth season as head coach.
In addition to the CPL, Forge competed in the Canadian Championship where it defeated MLS opposition for the first time by prevailing against CF Montréal over two legs in the quarter-final, advancing the club to the semi-final for the second consecutive year. Forge began its season in February with continental play when it faced C.D. Guadalajara in round one of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Review
[edit]Background
[edit]Forge FC entered the season as the reigning Canadian Premier League champions after winning the 2023 Canadian Premier League final against Cavalry FC.[1][2] This was the club's fourth CPL title and fifth finals appearance in five years,[1] continuing their dynasty.[3] They are also competing in the Canadian Championship,[4] a domestic cup organized by the Canadian Soccer Association.[5] In the 2023 edition, Forge reached the semi-final where they were knocked out by Major League Soccer (MLS) club CF Montréal for the third consecutive year.[6]
Forge qualified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup on October 21, 2023,[7][8] returning the club to international competition after a one-year absence.[9] Their last appearance was in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, where they faced Mexican side Cruz Azul in the round of 16.[10]
Head coach and sporting director Bobby Smyrniotis returned for his sixth season after signing a contract extension in 2023.[11][12]
Preseason
[edit]On December 22, 2023, Forge announced that fifteen players from the previous season would be returning with guaranteed contracts while other players could possibly return pending negotiations for new contracts or the club activating contract extensions before December 31.[13] This changed a week later when defender Manjrekar James, who was originally listed to return, was sold to Costa Rican side Alajuelense for an undisclosed fee.[14] The club later announced that it had picked up the contract options of midfielder Sebastian Castello, defender Malcolm Duncan, and goalkeeper Christopher Kalongo.[15][16]
On January 29, Forge re-signed Swedish midfielder and club original Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson to a multi-year deal.[17] Over the following days, the club announced the return of versatile Senegalese midfielder Elimane Cissé, who was a member of Forge's 2019 and 2020 championship teams, and signed Ghanaian international forward Nana Ampomah, both to multi-year deals.[18][19] They also signed several players to short-term and development contracts for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[20][21]
Striker Woobens Pacius announced on December 17 that he was departing Forge, with the club confirming that he was out of contract;[22][23] he later signed with MLS side Nashville SC.[24] On January 17, full-back Rezart Rama left the club, signing with KF Egnatia in the Albanian top flight.[16][25] Midfielder Aboubacar Sissoko left Forge to join fellow Ontario side Atlético Ottawa.[26]
CONCACAF Champions Cup
[edit]Forge began its season in CONCACAF Champions Cup action against Liga MX giants C.D. Guadalajara. The Hammers hosted Chivas on February 7 at Tim Hortons Field where they fell 3–1. Chivas were led by United States international Cade Cowell who scored two goals and assisted on a third. Terran Campbell scored the lone goal for Forge off of a cross by Tristan Borges.[28]
Facing an uphill battle in the second leg at the Estadio Akron, Forge lost 2–1 to Chivas to be defeated 5–2 on aggregate, knocking them out of the Champions Cup. Kevaughn Tavernier scored Forge's lone goal in the 93rd minute.[29]
Forge was notably without Golden Glove winning goalkeeper Triston Henry for both matches; according to the club, he was away dealing with a personal matter.[30][31] Christopher Kalongo started in his absence.[27][28][29] Forge was also without Elimane Cissé and Nana Ampomah as they awaited their international transfer permits.[31]
Canadian Premier League season
[edit]Prior to the start of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season, Forge brought in defender Daniel Parra on loan from Monterrey and midfielder Matteo Schiavoni on loan from CF Montréal.[32][33] The club also signed goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat to a multi-year deal.[34]
April
[edit]Forge opened its CPL campaign at home with a rematch of the 2023 CPL final against rival side Cavalry FC on April 13.[35] Henry, Cissé, and Ampomah continued to be unavailable for the Hammers, while defender Garven Metusala missed the match due to injury.[35] After falling behind 1–0, Forge came back on the strength of a goal and an assist from Tristan Borges and a 76th minute winning goal from Béni Badibanga to defeat Cavalry 2–1.[36] This was Forge's first ever opening day win in its history.[37]
The club followed-up their opening day win with victories away at 905 derby rival York United FC and back at home against Valour FC.[38][39] After three matches, Tristan Borges had scored two goals and picked up three assists for five goal contributions, more than any CPLer had ever earned in the league's first three matchweeks.[40] For his efforts, Borges was named the CPL's player of the month while Christopher Kalongo and Bobby Smyrniotis earned goalkeeper and manager of the month honours, respectively.[41][42][43]
May
[edit]Forge's 2024 Canadian Championship run began on May 1 with a rematch against York United FC, this time at Tim Hortons Field.[45] Jordan Hamilton scored a brace as part of a three goal first half en route to a convincing 3–1 win, advancing Forge to the quarter-finals.[46] This set up a Canadian Championship rematch against CF Montréal for a fourth year in a row.[47] Forge hosted the first leg on May 7 in the club's "School Day Match" before an announced crowd of 14,923 fans, the club's second most attended home match.[48] David Choinière scored in the 31st minute to give Forge a 1–0 first half lead before Montréal responded in the second half to secure a 1–1 draw, leaving the teams tied on aggregate before the return leg later in the month.[48]
Returning to CPL play, Forge FC traveled out west to face Pacific FC, battling them to a scoreless draw.[49] Jassem Koleilat made his first appearance for the Hammers, keeping a clean sheet.[49] The Hammers next returned home where they faced Vancouver FC, losing 2–1 for their first ever home defeat against the Eagles.[50]
Forge next traveled to Montreal for the second leg of its Canadian Championship quarter-final match. Tied 1–1 on aggregate and needing to score to overcome an away goals deficit,[51] Forge jumped out to a 2–0 first half lead thanks to goals from Daniel Parra and Kwasi Poku.[52] Following a two hour halftime delay due to lightning, Montréal came out and dominated the second half.[52] However, they only managed to score one goal against the Hammers, resulting in a "historic" 2–1 Forge win and advancing them to the semi-finals 3–2 on aggregate.[52] This was the first time the club had defeated an MLS opponent.[53] Following the win, Forge travelled to Ottawa where, tired from their Canadian Championship match, they fell 3–0 to Atlético Ottawa.[54] It was the club's first ever defeat in Ottawa.[55]
June
[edit]Forge FC returned home to face York United FC, securing a 3–0 victory for their third win of the season against the Nine Stripes in all competitions.[56] Kyle Bekker, Tristan Borges, and Daniel Parra scored for Forge while Kwasi Poku contributed with two assists and a crucial goal-line clearance to help Jassem Koleilat keep the clean sheet.[56][57] Forge followed this up with a trip to Calgary where a "poor" outing resulted in a 1–0 loss to Cavalry.[58][59] This was Forge's third loss in their last four league matches and the third time the team had been shutout in a road match this season.[60] Forge next traveled to Halifax to face HFX Wanderers where Béni Badibanga opened scored in the 49th minute and Kwasi Poku scored a stoppage time equalizer to help secure a 2–2 draw.[61] After a delay in getting his work permit approved,[62] Nana Ampomah made his long-awaited debut for Forge, appearing as a second-half substitute and assisting on Poku's late equalizer.[61]
Returning home, Forge welcomed Valour back to Tim Hortons Field on June 23 where Kwasi Poku scored a first-half brace to propel Forge to a 2–1 win.[63] The Hammers then returned to Ottawa on June 28 for their second away match against league-leaders Atlético Ottawa.[64] In a "chaotic" and "thrilling" contest, Atlético scored a winning goal at the end of stoppage time to emerge as 4–3 winners after the sides traded leads in the second half.[65][66] This was Forge's first ever CPL loss in a match in which the team had led in their history.[67]
Forge ended the month with two wins, a draw, and two losses in league play. For scoring four goals and two assists in June, Kwasi Poku was named the CPL's player of the month.[68]
Current squad
[edit]As of August 31, 2024[update][69]
Transfers
[edit]In
[edit]Transferred in
[edit]No. | Pos. | Player | From club | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | GK | ![]() | ![]() | Short-term contract[a] | January 31, 2024 | [20] |
41 | FW | ![]() | ![]() | Short-term contract[b] | January 31, 2024 | [20] |
37 | FW | ![]() | ![]() | Short-term contract | January 31, 2024 | [20] |
8 | MF | ![]() | ![]() | Free | January 31, 2024 | [18] |
11 | FW | ![]() | ![]() | Free | February 1, 2024 | [19] |
32 | MF | ![]() | ![]() | Development contract | February 7, 2024 | [21] |
30 | GK | ![]() | ![]() | Short-term contract[c] | February 7, 2024 | [21] |
42 | GK | ![]() | ![]() | Development contract | August 14, 2024 | [71] |
Loaned in
[edit]No. | Pos. | Player | From club | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 | DF | ![]() | ![]() | Season-long loan with second year option | March 12, 2024 | [32][72] |
88 | MF | ![]() | ![]() | Season-long loan | March 27, 2024 | [33] |
Draft picks
[edit]Forge FC made two selections in the 2024 CPL–U Sports Draft.[73] Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster; only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in.
Round | Selection | Pos. | Player | Nationality | University |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | MF | Mouhamed Ndiaye | ![]() | UQTR |
2 | 16 | FW | Amadou Koné | ![]() | Carleton |
Out
[edit]No. | Pos. | Player | To club | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | DF | ![]() | ![]() | Undisclosed | December 30, 2023 | [14] |
24 | DF | ![]() | ![]() | Contract expired | January 17, 2024 | [16][25] |
33 | MF | ![]() | ![]() | Contract expired | February 7, 2024 | [26] |
17 | FW | ![]() | ![]() | Contract expired | February 15, 2024 | [22][23][24] |
1 | GK | ![]() | ![]() | Undisclosed | July 23, 2024 | [74][75] |
36 | GK | ![]() | ![]() | Contract expired | August 15, 2024 | [76][77] |
20 | MF | ![]() | ![]() | Undisclosed | August 21, 2024 | [78][79] |
Loans out
[edit]Forge FC is affiliated with Sigma FC of League1 Ontario as part of the CPL's Downward Player Movement Pilot Project.[80][81] The following Forge FC players featured for Sigma FC during the 2024 League1 Ontario season.
No. | Pos. | Player | Games | Notes | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | GK | ![]() | 17 | First featured for Sigma FC on April 26, 2024. | [82] |
32 | MF | ![]() | 46 | First featured for Sigma FC on April 26, 2024. | [83] |
64 | MF | ![]() | 6 | First featured for Sigma FC on July 12, 2024. | [84] |
41 | FW | ![]() | 7 | First featured for Sigma FC on July 3, 2024. | [85] |
42 | GK | ![]() | 4 | First featured for Sigma FC on August 18, 2024. | [86] |
81 | DF | ![]() | 1 | First featured for Sigma FC on July 20, 2024. | [87] |
37 | FW | ![]() | 19 | First featured for Sigma FC on May 5, 2024. | [88] |
Club
[edit]Staff
[edit]As of April 11, 2024[update][89][90]
Executive | |
---|---|
Caretaker | ![]() |
Chief executive officer | ![]() |
Executive vice president | Doug Rye |
President | ![]() |
Vice chairman | Glenn Gibson |
Coaching staff | |
Head coach and sporting director | ![]() |
Director of youth football and assistant coach | ![]() |
Assistant and goalkeeper coach | ![]() |
Assistant coach | ![]() |
Assistant coach | ![]() |
Director of soccer operations | ![]() |
Club partnerships
[edit]On May 23, Forge announced a new partnership with CS Mont-Royal Outremont.[91][92] On June 25, the club announced a new partnership with the Burlington Soccer Club.[93][94]
Community initiatives
[edit]School Day Match
[edit]On January 25, Forge announced a "School Day Match" as part of its CPL schedule to be played against HFX Wanderers FC on Tuesday, May 7 at 11:00 am when students in grades 6 to 12 would be able to attend.[95] The announcement generated mixed reactions; while some fans saw this as a way to grow local interest and support, others considered the timing to be unfair to existing supporters.[96] After Forge advanced to the Canadian Championship quarter-finals, its home quarter-final match against CF Montréal took over the "School Day Match" slot and the CPL match against HFX Wanderers was rescheduled to later in the season.[96][97] More than 10,000 students attended the match as part of the announced attendance of 14,923 fans.[48]
Kits
[edit]Forge unveiled its 2024 primary and alternate kits at a supporters event on March 28 hosted at Tim Hortons Field. The kits continue to be produced by Macron and sponsored by Tim Hortons for a sixth consecutive season with sponsorship from CIBC on the left sleeve for a second consecutive season.[98][99][100]
The club continued to use its 2023 home and away kits for matches in the Champions Cup.[101][102]
Supplier: Macron / Sponsor: Tim Hortons / Sleeve sponsor: CIBC
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Primary | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Alternate | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Home 2023 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Away 2023 |
Preseason and friendlies
[edit]Forge announced in a release that players reported to Hamilton for preseason on January 4, with medicals taking place on January 5 and training beginning at Redeemer University on January 6.[103] The team traveled to Querétaro, Mexico on January 16 where they trained for two weeks before returning to Hamilton on January 31 in advance of their opening match in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on February 7 at Tim Hortons Field against C.D. Guadalajara.[103][104] While in Mexico, they defeated Liga Premier side C.D. Irapuato 3–2 in a friendly with goals from Terran Campbell, Dominic Samuel, and Kevaughn Tavernier.[105][106][107] Forge was also reported to have friendlies scheduled against other Mexican clubs, including a Liga MX opponent.[108]
On March 13, Forge announced that the team had begun its training camp in advance of the Canadian Premier League season on March 11.[109] They faced York United FC in a friendly on March 16, playing them to a 1–1 draw.[110][111] They then played a friendly against HFX Wanderers FC on March 23.[111]
Competitions
[edit]Matches are listed in Hamilton local time: Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4) from March 10 until November 3, and Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5) otherwise.
Overview
[edit]Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
Canadian Premier League | April 13 | October 19 | Matchday 1 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 23 | +14 | 52.38 | |
Canadian Championship | May 1 | August 27 | Preliminary round | Semi-finals | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 60.00 |
CONCACAF Champions Cup | February 7 | February 13 | Round one | Round one | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0.00 |
Total | 28 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 33 | +14 | 50.00 |
Last updated: August 30
Source: Competitions
Canadian Premier League
[edit]Table
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Playoff qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Forge | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 23 | +14 | 38 | First semifinal |
2 | Atlético Ottawa | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 25 | +10 | 36 | |
3 | Cavalry | 21 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 34 | Quarterfinal |
4 | York United | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 32 | Play-in round |
5 | Vancouver | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 34 | −8 | 26 | |
6 | Valour | 21 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 35 | −10 | 21 | |
7 | HFX Wanderers | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 20 | |
8 | Pacific | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 23 | −9 | 20 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total number of wins; 3) Head-to-head; 4) Goal differential; 5) Goals for; 6) Away goals differential; 7) Away goals for; 8) Home goals differential; 9) Home goals for; 10) Fewest disciplinary points;[d] 11) Most under-21 domestic player minutes; 12) Coin toss (tie between two (2) clubs) or drawing of lots (tie between three (3) or more clubs).[77]
Results by match
[edit]W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Notes:
- Positions show the situation at the end of the corresponding game weeks, not the position at the conclusion of matches or game days.
1 Matchday 4 (vs HFX Wanderers) was postponed to August 14 due to Forge's participation in the Canadian Championship quarter-finals.[97]
Matches
[edit]The Canadian Premier League announced each team's home openers on January 18.[112][113] The full regular season schedule was released on January 23.[114][115]
April 13 1 | Forge FC | 2–1 | Cavalry FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 7,395 Referee: Scott Bowman |
April 21 2 | York United FC | 0–3 | Forge FC | Toronto, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: York Lions Stadium Attendance: 2,654 Referee: Myriam Marcotte |
April 27 3 | Forge FC | 2–1 | Valour FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 3,051 Referee: Michael Venne |
May 11 5 | Pacific FC | 0–0 | Forge FC | Langford, British Columbia |
5:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Starlight Stadium Attendance: 2,322 Referee: Scott Bowman |
May 18 6 | Forge FC | 1–2 | Vancouver FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 4,379 Referee: Mathieu Souaré |
May 25 7 | Atlético Ottawa | 3–0 | Forge FC | Ottawa, Ontario |
3:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: TD Place Stadium Attendance: 5,895 Referee: Myriam Marcotte |
June 1 8 | Forge FC | 3–0 | York United FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 5,271 Referee: Mario Al-Ayass |
June 8 9 | Cavalry FC | 1–0 | Forge FC | Foothills County, Alberta |
5:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: ATCO Field Attendance: 4,691 Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin |
June 15 10 | HFX Wanderers FC | 2–2 | Forge FC | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
4:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Wanderers Grounds Attendance: 5,384 Referee: Scott Bowman |
June 23 11 | Forge FC | 2–1 | Valour FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 6,231 Referee: Renzo Villanueva |
June 28 12 | Atlético Ottawa | 4–3 | Forge FC | Ottawa, Ontario |
7:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: TD Place Stadium Attendance: 5,081 Referee: Michael Venne |
July 5 13 | Forge FC | 3–3 | Vancouver FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 4,301 Referee: Yusri Rudolf |
July 14 14 | Forge FC | 2–1 | Pacific FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 4,324 Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren |
July 21 15 | Cavalry FC | 1–1 | Forge FC | Foothills County, Alberta |
5:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: ATCO Field Attendance: 4,569 Referee: Mathieu Souaré |
July 27 16 | Forge FC | 3–0 | HFX Wanderers FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 6,179 Referee: Michael Venne |
August 4 17 | Valour FC | 2–1 | Forge FC | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
3:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Princess Auto Stadium Attendance: 3,198 Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin |
August 10 18 | Forge FC | 3–0 | Atlético Ottawa | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 5,813 Referee: Scott Bowman |
August 14 4 | Forge FC | 2–0 | HFX Wanderers FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report |
| Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 3,983 Referee: Michael Venne |
Note: Originally scheduled for May 7, the fixture was postponed due to Forge's participation in the Canadian Championship quarter-finals.[97] |
August 18 19 | Vancouver FC | 1–2 | Forge FC | Langley, British Columbia |
7:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Willoughby Community Park Attendance: 2,524 Referee: Fabrizio Stasolla |
August 23 20 | York United FC | 0–0 | Forge FC | Toronto, Ontario |
8:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: York Lions Stadium Attendance: 1,824 Referee: Mathieu Souaré | |
Note: Original kick-off time was moved from 7:00 pm.[116] |
August 30 21 | Forge FC | 2–0 | Pacific FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 5,753[117] Referee: Sebastian Noshinravani |
September 7 22 | Forge FC | v | Cavalry FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field |
September 14 23 | HFX Wanderers FC | v | Forge FC | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
2:00 pm | Stadium: Wanderers Grounds |
September 21 24 | Vancouver FC | v | Forge FC | Langley, British Columbia |
6:00 pm | Stadium: Willoughby Community Park |
September 28 25 | Forge FC | v | York United FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field |
October 6 26 | Valour FC | v | Forge FC | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
2:00 pm | Stadium: Princess Auto Stadium |
October 12 27 | Forge FC | v | Atlético Ottawa | Hamilton, Ontario |
4:00 pm | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field |
October 19 28 | Pacific FC | v | Forge FC | Langford, British Columbia |
3:00 pm | Stadium: Starlight Stadium |
Canadian Championship
[edit]Canada Soccer announced the format and draw procedure for the Canadian Championship on February 22.[118][119] The draw for the preliminary round and the quarter-finals was held on February 23.[120] The draw for the semi-finals and hosting rights for the single-leg final was held on May 29.[121]
Preliminary round
[edit]The preliminary round schedule was announced on March 11.[122]
May 1 Single leg | Forge FC | 3–1 | York United FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 2,471 Referee: Ben Hoskins |
Quarter-finals
[edit]Forge announced the schedule of its quarter-final matches against CF Montréal on May 2;[97] Canada Soccer confirmed this the next day.[123]
May 7 Leg 1 | Forge FC | 1–1 | CF Montréal | Hamilton, Ontario |
11:00 am |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 14,923 Referee: Renzo Villanueva |
May 22 Leg 2 | CF Montréal | 1–2 (2–3 agg.) | Forge FC | Montreal, Quebec |
7:30 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Saputo Stadium Attendance: 7,582 Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin |
Semi-finals
[edit]Canada Soccer announced the semi-final match schedule on June 10.[124]
July 10 Leg 1 | Forge FC | 2–1 | Toronto FC | Hamilton, Ontario |
7:00 pm |
| Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 11,341 Referee: Ben Hoskins |
August 27 Leg 2 | Toronto FC | 1–0 (2–2a agg.) | Forge FC | Toronto, Ontario |
7:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 20,173 Referee: Renzo Villanueva |
CONCACAF Champions Cup
[edit]The CONCACAF Champions Cup draw was held on December 13, 2023.[125][126] Having qualified as CPL champions, Forge entered the competition in round one and began play in February 2024.[127][128]
Round one
[edit]The round one schedule was announced on December 18, 2023.[129]
February 7 Leg 1 | Forge FC ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() | Hamilton, Ontario |
8:00 pm | Report | Stadium: Tim Hortons Field Attendance: 11,513[28] Referee: Victor Rivas (United States) |
February 13 Leg 2 | Guadalajara ![]() | 2–1 (5–2 agg.) | ![]() | Zapopan, Jalisco |
10:00 pm | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Akron Attendance: 25,059[130] Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala) |
Statistics
[edit]As of August 30, 2024[update]
Squad and statistics
[edit]No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | CPL | Canadian Championship | Champions Cup | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
2 | DF | ![]() | Malcolm Duncan | 28 | 0 | 14+7 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
4 | DF | ![]() | Dominic Samuel | 18 | 0 | 4+9 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
7 | FW | ![]() | David Choinière | 27 | 6 | 18+2 | 4 | 5+0 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 |
8 | MF | ![]() | Elimane Cissé | 7 | 1 | 2+5 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
9 | FW | ![]() | Jordan Hamilton | 23 | 3 | 5+11 | 1 | 3+2 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 |
10 | MF | ![]() | Kyle Bekker | 26 | 2 | 16+3 | 2 | 5+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
11 | FW | ![]() | Nana Opoku Ampomah | 13 | 1 | 7+4 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
13 | MF | ![]() | Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson | 28 | 1 | 21+0 | 1 | 5+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
14 | FW | ![]() | Terran Campbell | 9 | 1 | 3+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
16 | GK | ![]() | Jassem Koleilat | 9 | 0 | 8+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
17 | DF | ![]() | Daniel Parra | 23 | 3 | 19+0 | 2 | 4+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
19 | FW | ![]() | Tristan Borges | 26 | 6 | 16+3 | 6 | 5+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
20 | MF | ![]() | Kwasi Poku | 22 | 10 | 14+3 | 8 | 2+2 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 |
21 | MF | ![]() | Alessandro Hojabrpour | 28 | 1 | 20+1 | 1 | 5+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
22 | MF | ![]() | Noah Jensen | 24 | 3 | 8+10 | 3 | 0+4 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
23 | DF | ![]() | Garven Metusala | 24 | 0 | 14+3 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
29 | GK | ![]() | Christopher Kalongo | 19 | 0 | 13+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
37 | FW | ![]() | Kevaughn Tavernier | 7 | 1 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 |
39 | FW | ![]() | Béni Badibanga | 24 | 4 | 14+3 | 3 | 5+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
41 | FW | ![]() | Amadou Koné | 14 | 0 | 2+11 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
64 | MF | ![]() | Khadim Kane | 9 | 0 | 0+6 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
81 | DF | ![]() | Malik Owolabi-Belewu | 22 | 1 | 12+5 | 1 | 1+2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
88 | MF | ![]() | Matteo Schiavoni | 7 | 1 | 1+6 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
Goal scorers
[edit]Rank | Nat. | Player | Pos. | CPL | Canadian Championship | Champions Cup | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Kwasi Poku | MF | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
2 | ![]() | Tristan Borges | FW | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
3 | ![]() | David Choinière | FW | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
![]() | Béni Badibanga | FW | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
5 | ![]() | Jordan Hamilton | FW | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
![]() | Daniel Parra | DF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
![]() | Noah Jensen | MF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
8 | ![]() | Kyle Bekker | MF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
9 | ![]() | Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() | Nana Opoku Ampomah | FW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | Terran Campbell | FW | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
![]() | Elimane Cissé | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | Alessandro Hojabrpour | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | Malik Owolabi-Belewu | DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | Matteo Schiavoni | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
![]() | Kevaughn Tavernier | FW | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
Totals | 37 | 8 | 2 | 47 |
Clean sheets
[edit]Rank | Nat. | Player | CPL | Canadian Championship | Champions Cup | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Jassem Koleilat | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
2 | ![]() | Christopher Kalongo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Totals | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Disciplinary record
[edit]No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | CPL | Canadian Championship | Champions Cup | TOTAL | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||||
2 | DF | ![]() | Malcolm Duncan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
4 | DF | ![]() | Dominic Samuel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
7 | FW | ![]() | David Choinière | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
10 | MF | ![]() | Kyle Bekker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
11 | FW | ![]() | Nana Opoku Ampomah | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
13 | MF | ![]() | Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
17 | DF | ![]() | Daniel Parra | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
19 | FW | ![]() | Tristan Borges | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
20 | MF | ![]() | Kwasi Poku | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
21 | MF | ![]() | Alessandro Hojabrpour | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
22 | MF | ![]() | Noah Jensen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
23 | DF | ![]() | Garven Metusala | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
29 | GK | ![]() | Christopher Kalongo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
37 | FW | ![]() | Kevaughn Tavernier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
39 | FW | ![]() | Béni Badibanga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
64 | MF | ![]() | Khadim Kane | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
81 | DF | ![]() | Malik Owolabi-Belewu | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Totals | 53 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 2 |
Honours
[edit]Canadian Premier League Awards
[edit]Monthly Awards
[edit]Month | Name | Award | Source |
---|---|---|---|
April | Tristan Borges | Player of the Month | [41] |
Bobby Smyrniotis | Manager of the Month | [43] | |
Christopher Kalongo | Goalkeeper of the Month | [42] | |
June | Kwasi Poku | Player of the Month | [68] |
Player of the Week
[edit]Week | Name | Source |
---|---|---|
2 | David Choinière | [131] |
11 | Kwasi Poku | [132] |
14 | Kwasi Poku (2) | [133] |
18 | Tristan Borges | [134] |
Team of the Week
[edit]The Team of the Week is usually selected by the CPL's Kristian Jack and OneSoccer's Oliver Platt.
Week | Name | Source |
---|---|---|
1 | Béni Badibanga Tristan Borges Malik Owolabi-Belewu | [135] |
2 | Tristan Borges (2) David Choinière Christopher Kalongo Daniel Parra | [136] |
3 | Tristan Borges (3) Christopher Kalongo (2) Daniel Parra (2) | [137] |
5 | Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson Alessandro Hojabrpour Daniel Parra (3) | [138] |
8 | Tristan Borges (4) Daniel Parra (4) Kwasi Poku | [139] |
9 | Malik Owolabi-Belewu (2) | [140] |
10 | Béni Badibanga (2) | [141] |
11 | Kyle Bekker Kwasi Poku (2) | [142] |
13 | David Choinière (2) | [143] |
14 | Tristan Borges (5) Alessandro Hojabrpour (2) Daniel Parra (5) Kwasi Poku (3) | [144] |
15 | Kyle Bekker (2) Christopher Kalongo (3) | [145] |
16 | Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (2) Kyle Bekker (3) Jassem Koleilat Kwasi Poku (4) | [146] |
18 | Kyle Bekker (4) Tristan Borges (6) Alessandro Hojabrpour (3) | [147] |
19 |