When Forge's lineup came out ahead of their crucial clash with Atlético Ottawa on Saturday, it included one intriguing tactical wrinkle.
Maxime Bourgeois, the 24-year-old CPL-U SPORTS Draft selection who had made 19 appearances for Forge this season, but all as a right fullback, had been shifted forward into a more attacking role on the wing.
It turned out to be a stroke of genius from Forge manager Bobby Smyrniotis. Bourgeois was the spark in a statement Forge performance, scoring his first two professional goals as the Hammers defeated Atleti 3-0.
Bourgeois has been named the Canadian Premier League's Maple Lodge Player of the Week for Matchweek 21.
"I really enjoyed playing a bit more forward," said Bourgeois following the match. "I can have a bit more freedom with the ball. The coaches just told me, 'run in behind, move, play forward. Don't think too much with the ball, just attack the box'."
He certainly excelled in all of these categories, with 11 touches in the box during the match and four shots on target, including another that slipped behind Chris Kalongo and had to be cleared off the line by Roni Mbomio.
Bourgeois is just the second Forge FC player this season to be named the league's Player of the Week, joining Tristan Borges (Matchweek 9).
Previous POTW Winners:
- Matchweek 1: Marco Carducci (Halifax Wanderers)
- Matchweek 2: Harry Paton (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 3: Garissone Innocent (Atlético Ottawa)
- Matchweek 4: Sean Rea (FC Supra du Québec)
- Matchweek 5: Tomasz Skublak (Inter Toronto)
- Matchweek 6: Diego Urtiaga (Inter Toronto)
- Matchweek 7: Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 8: Ronan Kratt (Pacific FC)
- Matchweek 9: Tristan Borges (Forge FC)
- Matchweek 10: Goteh Ntignee (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 11: Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
- Matchweek 12: Mohamed Amissi (Vancouver FC)
- Matchweek 13: Damiano Pecile (Vancouver FC)
- Matchweek 14: Loïc Kwemi (FC Supra du Québec)
- Matchweek 15: Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 16: Callum Irving (Vancouver FC)
- Matchweek 17: Ariel Almagro (Inter Toronto)
- Matchweek 18: Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 19: Yann Toualy (Pacific FC)
- Matchweek 20: Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC)
- Matchweek 21: Maxime Bourgeois (Forge FC)
