Forge FC is named in honour of sa国际传媒鈥檚 Steel City but it has also provided the gold standard in the first two seasons of Canadian Premier League history.
It is that legacy Island-based Pacific FC is wary of as it meets Forge FC in the CPL bubble Sunday at 4 p.m. at IG Stadium in Winnipeg.
Not only did Forge FC win the first two CPL championships, but its denting foray into the CONCACAF League playdowns late in 2020 turned heads all through the region.
The Hamiltonians beat CD Municipal Limeno of El Salvador 2-1 in the opening round and Tauro FC of Panama 2-1 in the Round of 16 before losing in a shootout to Arcahaie FC of Haiti in the quarter-finals and 1-0 to CD Marathon of Honduras in an ill-tempered repechage play-in. All in the middle of a pandemic and on the road in Central America 鈥� that would have been one harrowing trip on and off the pitch.
鈥淚t is fantastic for the league having a team make a deep run and we should appreciate it鈥檚 not easy going into a bubble in a pandemic and being able to go down into Central America and still push through to almost get into the [CONCACAF] Champions League,鈥� said PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah.
Forge has another shot to qualify this year when it meets Toronto FC of MLS in the final of the Canadian Championship.
PFC has been guardedly put up by some pundits as the team best positioned to inherit Forge FC鈥檚 championship mantle in the CPL, and the Islanders have opened the 2021 CPL campaign with a win and a tie. Forge FC is off to an uncharacteristic 0-2 start.
That is cold comfort to Kah.
鈥淲hen you are a champion, you are a champion for a reason,鈥� the PFC bench boss said in a Zoom call with reporters.
鈥淎 champion is a champion. Seven other teams want what Forge had the last two years. If you let a champion get in the groove, it can be a long game.
鈥淭hey are going to push in this game because they don鈥檛 want to go down three games in a row.
鈥淲e have to be ready and stay focused.鈥�
