Forge FC to compete for first ever CPL title
- Ayolt de Roos
- 25 Oct 2019
It was on April 27th, 2019, a sunny Saturday, that 17,611 soccer enthusiasts flocked into Tim Hortons Field to witness the first ever Canadian Premier League game: hometown Forge FC versus Torontonian rivals York9 FC (final score: 1-1).
Now, 98 league games and 6 months later, the inaugural regular season is over and all that is left to play is the Championship Final. A two-legged affair between the two teams who have dominated the league all season long: Hamilton’s very own Forge FC and Calgary-based Cavalry FC.
It all comes down to this
This Saturday – October 26th, 3:30 pm ET – the first game of the final will take place at Tim Hortons Field. It promises to be a spectacular game, not just because the two teams have been neck-and-neck throughout the whole season, but because the league and teams are going all out to celebrate this milestone moment.
A week later – Saturday, November 2nd, 3:30pm ET – the two teams will meet at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB. Scores of both games will be tallied and the team leading after 180 minutes of soccer action will crown themselves the first ever CPL Champion.
Want to witness this piece Canadian soccer history? Tickets for both games are still available. And if you can’t make the trip down to Calgary for the second game, just keep a close eye on Forge FC’s Instagram feed, to see where they will host a viewing party you could join.
Still a lot more to come
Regardless of how the final plays out, this first season of action has been one to remember for Forge FC’s players, staff, crew and fans. Emphatic wins, heartbreaking loses, beautiful goals, and edgy tackles; we’ve seen it all.
But this has just been the start of it all, as the Canadian Premier League is far from done developing. New teams will be added over the upcoming years, squads will become better, rivalries fiercer and the level will undoubtedly go up. But there is more to this league than just the 90 minutes the teams meet on the pitch.
Forge FC – and the league as a whole – is very much focused on the future of soccer in Canada. They want to show the next generation of potential superstars that it is no longer a European game, but a Canadian game as well. Allan Gorman, founder of Forge FC’s supporters group Barton Street Battalion, says it best: “Forge FC having a lasting effect on youth soccer in Hamilton would be the ultimate goal. Capturing the imagination of kids and showing them there is a professional team for them to strive to play for. To see a local generation of kids go on to play for our team and eventually represent Canada at a national level would be a wonderful legacy.”
Be there in 2020
The next CPL season is set to kick-off around April/May 2020. If you haven’t been yet, make sure to put it on your bucket list. And don’t just take my word, take Allan’s: “Soccer is unlike any other sport. You almost can’t take your eyes off it, as there are no constant breaks. Music doesn’t need to be played to create an atmosphere; the fans make that happen, with singing, banging of drums, and waving flags. Come down to Tim Hortons Field and stand with the Barton Street Battalion. You will be back again and again.”
The 2020 season tickets for Forge FC are already for sale. Grab your seats and join Forge FC for (at least) 15 games at Tim Hortons Field during the next season.
Lead photo courtesy of Peter Power
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