Match #3
FORGE FC (2-0-0) vs VALOUR FC (0-0-2)
When: Saturday, April 27th, 3 p.m. CT
Where: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, ON.
How to watch: OneSoccer is broadcasting all Canadian Premier League games live.
Supporters group viewing party: Elephant & Castle, 350 St. Mary Ave.
—
MATCH PREVIEW:
Valour continues its long and winding road trip to open the 2024 season with a visit to Hamilton and a meeting with CPL powerhouse Forge FC in a Saturday matinee.
Winless in its two matches to open the season – road losses in Vancouver and Victoria – Valour has nonetheless shown progress from one outing to the next. Critical now is to take that progress further and turn it into results. The club is hoping to have captain and midfielder Raphael Ohin available soon, while centre back Tass Mourdoukoutas is also inching closer to making his Valour debut.
This will be the third of seven straight road matches in league play to open the season – eight if the Canadian Championship meeting in Ottawa is included – while the new turf is installed at Princess Auto Stadium.
—
THE OTHER GUYS:
3 Facts about Forge FC:
-Forge has surrendered just one goal in its first two matches – a 2-1 win over Cavalry followed by a 3-nil decision over York United. New #1 keeper Christopher Kalongo has been in the net for both victories.
-Forwards Béni Badibanga and David Choiniere each have two goals, which is tied for the CPL lead in the early going of the season.
-Forge is the CPL’s most successful franchise, having won four championships (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) in the league’s five-year existence.
VALOUR FC SPOTLIGHT:
#30: Themi Antonoglou, defender/midfielder: A versatile player who can play fullback, but has been playing higher and closer to the midfielder in the first two Valour games, Antonoglou has a brilliant touch with the ball – he set up Jordi Swibel’s goal in the opener with a perfect pass – and looks more comfortable with every minute he is on the pitch. The 22-year-old Torontonian appeared in 12 MLS games with Toronto FC over 2022-23 and Valour fans have already seen signs of that promise.
CRITICAL NUMBER
7-2-3
Valour lost all five meetings against Forge FC in 2019, the inaugural season of the CPL. Since then, Winnipeg’s squad has played the league powerhouse tough, posting seven wins and two draws against just three defeats in head-to-head meetings.
All-Time: Valour FC vs. Forge FC
Overall: (win-draw-loss): 7–2-8
Last meeting: September 17th, 2023, at Investors Group Field, Winnipeg.: Valour FC 2 Forge FC 3