| Inter Toronto vs. Forge FC July 26 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT York Lions Stadium in Toronto, Ont. Watch Live: OneSoccer Tickets available here |
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The CPL match weekend concludes with a 905 derby, where the hosts Inter Toronto aim to end a pair of unenviable streaks when they face their biggest rival, Forge FC.
Following a 1-1 draw with Atlético Ottawa in the nation's capital this past Friday, Toronto have now gone six straight without a victory in CPL action. That run has seen them drop to sixth in the table, albeit with the joint fewest matches played at just 11, and there are currently 18 points separating Forge at the top of the table and Inter Toronto.
An even longer stretch has seen them go 12 straight meetings without a victory over Forge FC.
Vital to changing both of those facts for Toronto is getting off to a better start to Sunday's match. They have not scored a first-half goal in their past five matches. In fact, they have scored a league-low four first-half goals all season.
The Hammers, conversely, have quite enjoyed their trips up the 401 over the years. Winning six of their past seven at York Lions Stadium, they have outscored Toronto 16-3 during that stretch. That included a 4-1 victory at the stadium earlier this year.
Forge will be playing their first CPL league match in 21 days on Sunday after their meeting with Pacific FC in Hamilton this past Thursday was postponed due to weather. But following a hectic stretch to begin the month of July between CPL and the TELUS Canadian Championship, it was a welcome break as they prepare for a busy second half of their season.
Inter Toronto, as aforementioned, were in action this past Friday, and can take plenty of positives from a point in the capital -- a game they had chances to win. As a result, expect a pretty similar lineup from the hosts on Sunday as they look to build some consistency.
One key change, however, will come in goal with Diego Urtiaga departing the club following the conclusion of his loan. Inter Toronto manager Mauro Eustáquio told media on Friday that 21-year-old Ivan Pavela will take over in net. A Canadian youth international, Pavela made seven league appearances for Inter Toronto last season, keeping a pair of clean sheets.
Pavela will now be relied upon as a vital part of Inter Toronto's playoff aspirations, but faces a difficult first test against a Forge team that has scored 20 times this season, tied for the second most in the league.
For Inter Toronto, it's a great chance to prove that they have truly dug themselves out of a slump. For Forge, meanwhile, they look to continue their dominance in this rivalry, and solidify their spot atop the table.
NEWS & NOTES
- Rezart Rama is back and available for selection for Forge FC. Zayne Bruno, meanwhile, is away on international duty with Canada's U-20 national team.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Inter Toronto: Pavela; Córdova, Guzmán, León, Ferrari; Kibato, López; Badibanga, Bassett, Altobelli; Skublak
Forge FC: Bertaud; Rama, Nimick, Batisse, Jevrémovic; Paton, Aromatario, Jensen; Borges, Wright, Ampomah
KEY QUOTES
"The players have enough quality. I know who I have in that locker room. I know exactly who I can count on, and they showed me again last game that we're in this together, and there's a lot of positives to grab from that." -- Inter Toronto head coach Mauro Eustáquio
"One of the biggest mistakes we made at the start of the season was thinking more ahead than we should. I believe that you have to focus game by game, and that's what we're doing." -- Inter Toronto defender Juan Córdova
"We always play some of our best football when we go to York Lions Stadium. So it's something we look forward to as a team." -- Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
"It's always valuable to have these extended breaks in the season. They're not very common. Just trying to get everybody healthy, make sure the bodies are feeling good, and there's a lot of energy going into the weekend." -- Forge FC defender Dan Nimick
