PACIFIC FC 0
FORGE FC 0
Pacific FC is piling up more clean sheets than a hotel laundry. The Tridents recorded their sixth shutout of the season, in seven games across all competitions, in a scoreless Canadian Premier League draw against Forge FC of Hamilton, Ont., at Starlight Stadium on Saturday.
The five consecutive clean sheets PFC has recorded in league play is a CPL record.
“PFC has done an excellent job of sitting in a low block this season,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis.
Both teams came into the game after midweek fixtures in the Canadian Championship tournament. PFC played a scoreless draw on Wednesday in Ottawa against CPL rival Atlético, and Forge FC got a 1-1 draw on Tuesday against CF Montreal of Major League Soccer before nearly 15,000 fans at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.
“It was tough to travel back from Ottawa and play three days later on the first really hot day of the season. It was difficult to ask more of our players,” said PFC head coach James Merriman. “All the subs we made in the game were because of cramps.”
Both PFC and Forge FC remained undefeated on the season. PFC is 3-0-2 in league and 4-0-3 overall and Forge FC is 3-0-1 in league and 4-0-2 overall. The Hammers, who have won four of the five playoff championships in CPL history, lead the all-time series against the Tridents 12-4-3.
Emil Gazdov recorded the clean sheet for PFC and back-up Jassem Koleilat, making his first start, the shutout for Forge FC.
“It’s a great feeling to get a clean sheet against a tough opponent,” said Koleilat.
The PFC defence was again stellar thanks in part to what is being labelled the French sa国际传媒ion. It includes Aly Ndom, the 27-year-old veteran from France, who, in 2017-18, helped Stade Reims win Ligue 2 to be promoted to Ligue 1, and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère from Repentigny, Que., who had 12 Under-20 appearances for sa国际传媒 and was selected for the sa国际传媒 U-23 team for the CONCACAF Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament.
“We speak French to each other and communicate well,” said PFC defender Eric Lajeunesse, the UBC Thunderbirds product, who grew up bilingual in Ottawa. “Everybody on our team put in a shift today.”
Despite the rubbery legs, both teams had their chances. Forge FC captain Kyle Bekker, capped 18 times for sa国际传媒, missed by a shade late in the game. Moments later, Bekker set up another Hammers chance that was headed just wide by Daniel Parra, who is on loan from Liga MX giant Monterrey.
“It [travel] is the reality of the [league and country] we play in,” said Smyrniotis, whose name has been mentioned as potential sa国际传媒 coach for the 2026 World Cup. “I thought our guys did a good job today. We had seven or eight opportunities. On some nights, some of those go in. But we took a point in a difficult place to play.”
The 2,322 fans were not happy with the officiating, including what they believed was a missed hand ball in the Hammers’ box, and by the red card flashed in injury time to PFC striker Reon Moore. It means Moore, capped 26 times for Trinidad and Tobago, will have to sit out the next two games.
PFC hosts Atlético Ottawa at Starlight Stadium on Friday night.
