2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #61
Forge FC vs. Halifax Wanderers FC
July 27, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. AT
Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

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Halifax Wanderers FC step onto the pitch at Tim Hortons Field for the first time in 2024, as they continue their search for a first-ever victory in Hamilton.

Eight times, the Wanderers have made the trip to Tim Hortons Field and never have they left with more than a point. As they reach the midway point of their season on Saturday, being the only club in the league that has played just 13 matches, a historic win over Forge FC would go a long way toward fuelling their continued rise up the table.

“It’s such an important game, and it’s one of the stadiums that, while I’ve been in charge, we’ve never won,” said Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar. “So it would be a great win, and to be able to get it, not only away from home, but showing our continued progress, and also marking halfway through the season against such a marquee opponent with a positive result.”

Alternatively, however, Halifax still have not lost to Forge under Patrice Gheisar, going undefeated in five straight matches, and winning both of their home fixtures against the Hamilton club last season.

They came within minutes of victory again at the Wanderers Grounds in the only meeting between these two clubs in 2024 so far. After Béni Badibanga opened the scoring from a header, a brace from Massimo Ferrin looked to have handed Halifax what at the time would have been their first victory of their season. However, a goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time from Kwasi Poku saw the match end in a dramatic 2-2 draw.

Since that match, however, Halifax have been flying, winning three of their last four. They have suffered just one defeat since May, and are coming off a 3-1 home victory over Valour FC last Thursday.

Forge, meanwhile, will be looking to extend their impressive record at home, where they have gone 5-1-1 this season. They’ve also scored 15 goals in the process in seven matches for a league-leading 2.14 goals per game on their home field.

They have scored at least once in Halifax’s eight previous visits to Tim Hortons Field, winning on four occasions with the other four, including the two most recent, ending in draws. Both visits to Hamilton last year saw Halifax open the scoring in the first half, before Forge equalized late in the match.

The Hamilton club are coming off another draw, 1-1 against Cavalry FC last weekend in Calgary. It was a match in which despite a penalty kick given away early in the second half, and late sending off of Daniel Parra, they feel they were unlucky that they did not win.

After serving a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation, Malik Owolabi-Belewu is back and available for Forge on Saturday. However, the Hamilton club will now be without Parra as he is suspended following a pair of yellow cards picked up against Cavalry. They will also likely be without Badibanga for this match, as he continues to deal with a minor injury that saw him miss out last week against Cavalry. David Choinière, meanwhile, as well as Tristan Borges and potentially even Terran Campbell are expected to be fit and available for the Hamilton side.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Will the penalty spot play a role once again?: Penalties have been a big story in recent meetings between these two clubs, as well as for these two sides coming into Saturday’s match. The past four matches between Forge and Halifax have seen the latter score a penalty kick, including Massimo Ferrin from the spot back in June. Halifax are coming into the match off the first penalty miss in club history, albeit on the third spot kick they won against Valour last week, with Dan Nimick converting the first two. Forge, meanwhile, were on the other side of a penalty decision early in the second half of their 1-1 draw with Cavalry FC — but Chris Kalongo made an outstanding save on Tobias Warschewski’s attempt. Whether or not they play a factor again on Saturday remains to be seen, but they have certainly been a story lately between these two teams.

• Loughrey/Nimick pairing continuing to develop: After some tough moments early in the season, the Halifax Wanderers look as though they have turned a corner defensively as they reach the midway point of their campaign. Over their past six matches, they have allowed just five goals, and kept three clean sheets. This despite a tough blow in the season-ending injury that Julian Dunn suffered early in a 4-0 victory over Vancouver FC. Since then Cale Loughrey and Dan Nimick have reunited to form one of the league’s best central defensive pairings from last season. Nimick, 23 years of age, who was a CPL Defender of the Year nominee in 2023, has scored four goals in four games since returning from an injury of his own in that match against the Eagles.  Loughrey, 22, meanwhile, scored his first CPL goal to open the scoring against Valour last Thursday. “They’ve really focused and been a big part of the turnaround and the growth that we’ve experienced over the past six weeks,” said Gheisar.

• As more players return from injury, Smyrniotis has decisions to make in attack: For most of this season, Forge’s attacking group has looked pretty consistent, with Béni Badibanga on the left, David Choinière on the right and Tristan Borges playing as a number 10. Since Terran Campbell went down with injury, Kwasi Poku has led the line up top. Now with Campbell’s return to full training, as well as Nana Ampomah reaching full fitness, and showing glimpses of why he is such an exciting talent in his start against Cavalry last weekend. The Forge frontline is about to become even more competitive, and that is a dangerous notion for a team who have already been scoring for fun for a few months now. “I think we’ve been playing some very good football in the last few weeks, and what we’re doing, especially in attack,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “And that becomes very important for us when we play these games at home, so that not only are we on the front foot, but you know, if we look at last week, if we turned one of those early opportunities into goals that usually changes the landscape of a game.”

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Forge FC: Kalongo; Duncan, Achinioti-Jönsson, Metusala, Owolabi-Belewu; Hojabrpour, Bekker, Borges; Choinière, Ampomah, Poku

HFX Wanderers: Fillion; Fernandez, Nimick, Loughrey, Timoteo; Callegari, Rampersad; Bayiha, Probo, Daniels; Telfer

ALL-TIME SERIES

Forge FC wins: 8 || Halifax Wanderers wins: 4 || Draws: 9

Last meeting:

June 15, 2024 — Halifax Wanderers 2-2 Forge FC

KEY QUOTES

“I think, when we look at Halifax in their past few games … a lot of things are quite similar. It’s just they’re turning some opportunities into goals. And last week, they turned a few penalties into goals.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis

“Imagine our team’s a pencil. When you go through that sharpener, you feel the pain, but the more you go through the sharpener, you become sharper and sharper. I think that’s what’s happened to us. We’re at a place that might feel that we can score goals. We’re not giving up goals, and we’re taking care of the ball, but again, one game at a time, and it’s a lot of football left to be played. ” — HFX Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar