FC Supra du Québec vs. Forge FC
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Will FC Supra finally find the solution against Forge FC? Having been beaten in all three of their previous meetings, the Quebec side will have to find a way to pick up points in the playoff race.
Sixth in the standings, Supra is eight points out of a playoff spot, although it has a game in hand on Vancouver FC and the Halifax Wanderers, the two teams ahead of them in the standings. They remain under pressure from Inter Toronto, who are one point behind but have played two fewer games. In short, the battle for fourth place is wide open, and it is better to pick up points at this stage of the season.
The challenge is a major one, as Forge FC is engaged in a head-to-head battle with Cavalry at the top of the table. Only one point separates the top two teams.
The challenge is even greater for Supra given that they have not won at home since May 29. In their last five matches at Stade Boréale, Supra have recorded two draws and suffered three defeats, including one against Forge FC.
If Supra are to pick up points, they must absolutely solve their second-half problems, having conceded 21 of their 26 goals after halftime.
For the Hamilton side, meanwhile, the opportunity to pick up all three points is a significant one against a team that has conceded 11 goals in its last five home matches.
After a brief three-match winless run, Forge FC have returned to the top of the table and followed it up with two victories, against Supra and Pacific. They also managed to keep a clean sheet against Pacific FC after conceding in three consecutive matches.
A Forge FC side that appears to be back to its best will therefore arrive in Laval, and this match could also serve as a preview for the Canadian Championship.
Indeed, this meeting comes just three days before the two teams meet again in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal. That match will also be played at Stade Boréale in Laval, on September 1.
Individually, several players will be worth watching.
Forge FC can count on the recent emergence of young Aghilas Sadek. Having joined the club last April from the CF Montréal Academy, the 18-year-old has gradually established himself in the team and is now making a decisive impact. He has scored twice in the last two matches.
For Supra, Sean Rea needs to get back on track. After an excellent start to the season, the attacking midfielder has not registered a single goal contribution in the Canadian Premier League since the resumption following the World Cup.
David Choinière, on the other hand, appears to be finding his form in recent weeks and provided an assist in the last match against Inter Toronto.
Having scored against Inter Toronto, Loïc Kwemi has once again taken sole possession of the CPL scoring lead. With nine goals this season, he is ahead of Tobias Warschewski and Ballou-Tabla, who both have eight.
He will, however, face a formidable opponent. Dimitry Bertaud is the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets this season, having kept his goal untouched on nine occasions.
NEWS & NOTES
- Sent off against Inter Toronto, Diyaeddine Abzi is suspended for this match.
- Forge FC announced this week the signing of Haiti men's national team midfielder Olivier Woodensky Pierre to a multi-year contract
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
FC Supra: Milli; Auguste, Ferdinand, Chrétien, Lebeuf; Mlah, Biello, Rea; Choinière, Kwemi, Condé
Forge FC: Bertaud; Jevremovic, Nimick, Batisse, Rama; Bekker, Paton, Borges; Ampomah, Massunda, Wright
KEY QUOTES
Maxime Fillion (Forge FC player): “Both matches [the CPL match and the Canadian Championship match] are super important because we want to win every trophy. Right now, we're in a race with Calgary, and there is only one point between us, so this CPL match is extremely important. We have to win every game. I'm sure there will be adjustments between the two matches, so there will be a lot of video analysis, looking at previous tactics and also trying to predict their next tactics.”
Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC head coach): “The most important thing is to take each match in isolation. We focus only on the next match, with minimal thought given to the match after that, because there can always be unforeseen circumstances before the game. That's a central idea for me: We focus on the match in front of us and don't think about what it means for the next one. The three points that are up for grabs are the most important.
“We've already played FC Supra recently and we're going to play two more matches in the next few weeks, so we don't have to change everything. When you have a short turnaround between matches, it allows you to stay focused.”
Nick Razzaghi (FC Supra head coach): “We have to give everything we have. We have to take everything we’ve experienced so far, turn the page and go out there to win these games. We’ve just played eight matches in 30 days, so we’re somewhat used to this pace. We have a few days of training this week, so we can prepare for what’s ahead. We just have to get involved. In the three matches against Forge FC, we played well, but in the end, it’s three one-goal losses. We’ll try to surprise them in one way or another so that we can, let’s say, shift the momentum a little bit.”
