They are named Forge FC because of Hamilton鈥檚 industrial history of steel making. They also forged a steely reputation on the pitch as the inaugural Canadian Premier League soccer champions in 2019.
鈥淭hey are the defending champions for a reason,鈥� said Pacific FC head coach Pa-Modou Kah.
鈥淭hey are a very well-coached team and are the champions and have shown it so far. They play nice football. This will be a test for us to see where we stand. This is a game we have been looking forward to.鈥�
The PFC versus Forge FC contest today at 1 p.m. PDT will be broadcast nationally on CBC as part of the CPL鈥檚 鈥淚sland Games鈥� tournament-format 2020 pandemic season being held amid a bubble in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Both teams have yet to lose, although Pacific FC has also yet to win. PFC goes in with draws against the HFX Wanderers of Halifax and York9 of the Greater Toronto Area. Forge FC has a victory over FC Edmonton and draws against HFX and 2019 league-finalist Cavalry FC of Calgary.
Forge and Cavalry have proven themselves the gold standards of the CPL since 2019. The current second-place Hamilton club will be looking for three points today to leap-frog the undefeated and leading Calgary team (2-0-1) and into first place to practically cement a top-four seeding to see them through to the group playoff stage.
With only three points separating the other six teams, PFC will be looking to not only deny Forge FC鈥檚 ambitions today, but to also pick up some crucial points of its own.
鈥淓very point matters,鈥� said Kah.
鈥淭his is a tournament [not a full season].鈥�
Pacific FC will have its hands full against the wiles of Forge FC veterans David Edgar and Kyle Bekker, who have 42 and 18 caps, respectively, for sa国际传媒.
Meanwhile, Kah was asked about PFC strikers Alejandro Diaz and Terran Campbell. The former Mexican U-20 player Diaz, now 24, came as a touted off-season signing. Campbell scored 11 goals last season as a rookie revelation for PFC and was tied as runner-up for the CPL Golden Boot. Both have yet to score this season. But Kah said he is not concerned. The goals will come from the pair, be believes. The PFC bench boss added they also do so much else well.
鈥淒iaz played for one of the biggest teams in North America [Club America of Mexico City],鈥� noted Kah.
鈥淎nd Terran [Campbell] has done everything we have asked of him. He has put in the work and the goals will come. For us, it doesn鈥檛 matter who scores the goals.鈥�
Kah has started Campbell alongside Marco Bustos 鈥� the six-time sa国际传媒 capped striker who scored seven times last year for Valour FC of Winnipeg 鈥� in both PFC games. Bustos has one of PFC鈥檚 three goals on the season. Diaz subbed in for Campbell in the second half of both contests. At the other end, Kah knows his backline will be put under considerable strain by a pressing Forge side. He cited the defending skills of 56-time sa国际传媒-capped Marcel de Jong, a veteran with lengthy experience in the Bundesliga and MLS, and emerging 21-year-old sophomore Kadin Chung.
鈥淢arcel de Jong is the best player in the CPL,鈥� said Kah.
鈥淎nd Kadin Chung is one of the best fullbacks in the league. He is an example of the modern-day fullback.鈥�
That modern game demands of fullbacks that they also quickly get the ball moving downfield, which both Chung and de Jong can do, with de Jong launching several audacious and on-target, lengthy crosses Tuesday in the draw against York9.
Forge FC did not lose in four meetings against PFC last year with three wins and a draw.
