Standards are high in Hamilton.
Even though Forge FC sit on top of the Canadian Premier League midway through the year, in pole position to collect a third straight CPL Shield, the team is frustrated after last Friday's loss to Vancouver FC.
It was Forge's first regular-season home loss since October 2024, and it made their place atop the standings somewhat precarious.
With just a one-point lead over Cavalry FC, Forge travel to Calgary this weekend knowing that a loss would give the advantage back to their rivals.
After the defeat on Friday, captain Kyle Bekker took to the press conference podium in Hamilton Stadium and demanded more.
"We need to do a better job of seeing things off when we have the chances," Bekker said.
"For the last month or so, I don't think we've been as sharp or as clinical as we need to be in these games. We need to look ourselves in the mirror and take a little bit more accountability in what we do. It's been good for large portions of the season, but there's too much coasting."
The Hammers still have the best record in the league, but Bekker and co. have been frustrated on a few recent occasions. They were unable to score in Halifax two weeks ago, and they felt they should have seen off CS Saint-Laurent more comfortably in the Canadian Championship.
Head coach Bobby Smyrniotis pointed out that, by and large, they're still playing good football; Forge had 22 shots against Vancouver, 16 against Halifax, and 28 the week before when they beat Inter Toronto 3-1.
The difference is that they didn't make the most of those opportunities against VFC.
That said, Bekker also suggested the issue was a little deeper than that in the Vancouver game. He pointed out that Forge weren't quite as switched-on as usual in certain phases of the game.
"It's sharpness across the board," Bekker said. "Sharpness in how we react to a set-piece, how we react when the ball goes out for a throw for the opposition team — are we going to pin them back? Are we giving them a chance to get out? It's these little things where it's complacency. I don't know if that's the correct word, but there's that feeling where we exist, and I don't think it's an overconfidence, I don't think we're disrespecting opponents, but there is this feeling of, 'Okay, we'll get another one.'"
He added: "We have to realize that every time we play an opponent, they're going to come out and give us their best, and that's the ultimate sign of respect. We're doing them a disservice by coasting, and in turn, we're doing ourselves a disservice by that exact same thing because we're in this moment where we're making things a lot more difficult than it needs to be, and that's what it is. We need to go back to the drawing board and find out why we show up every day."
This Saturday's trip to ATCO Field may come at a perfect time for Forge, who often play their best football in big games. Last time they played Cavalry, they were also coming off a loss — their first defeat of 2026, in Ottawa. The Hammers came out strong in that match and won 1-0 to reclaim first place.
Bekker agreed that the match in Calgary is a pivotal test for his team; he added that moments like this, when things aren't quite going to plan, show the true mettle of a squad.
"What you want in these moments when you're in the mud is you want everyone to come together and realize, 'Alright, this is difficult,' and now we're going to see who's with it and who's going to shy away," Bekker said.
"What we need is guys to step up and be men. That's the beauty of this game, that's the beauty of a season when things get difficult, you find out who's beside you and who you're going to have in the trenches."
It'll be a scrappy game in Calgary on Saturday, and regardless of the result, it'll be a defining moment in this year's CPL Shield race.
