Forge FC to kick off 2022 CPL campaign with a grudge match

Published February 2, 2022 at 9:35 pm

Forge FC supporters display their scarves at a 2021 Canadian Championship semifinal match between the Hamilton side and CF Montréal on Wednesday. It was the first time in their three-season history that Forge have hosted a Major League Soccer club. (Soccer Canada photo)

Forge FC will start their league season with a rematch on the west coast against the side that dethroned them in December, and the Canadian Premier League has also tweaked its playoff format for its fourth season of competition.

The CPL sent out a teaser tonight (Feb. 2) ahead a full schedule announcement that is slated to drop at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Forge will play in the final and feature match in Week 1, facing Pacific FC on April 10 and 7 p.m. at Starlight Stadium in Victoria.

In December, Pacific shaded Forge 1-0 at Tim Hortons Field in the championship game in Hamilton, becoming the first team other than head coach Bobby Smyrniotis’s Hamilton club to win the league. Last month, Forge FC spiced up the rivalry by signing Alessandro Hojabrpour, who scored the championship-winning goal.

Change to playoff format

The CPL’s postseason will hew a bit more to footballing tradition. The semifinals, slated for mid-October, will now be in a two-legged, total-goals home-and-away format. The lower-finishing teams will start at home.

The championship game on Oct. 29 will be a one-game showdown.

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The eight-team CPL plans to play a balanced 28-game regular season.

Prior to the start of the league season, Forge FC is also venturing into the CONCACAF Champions League. They host Cruz Azul of Liga MX on Feb. 16, with the return leg at Mexico City on Feb. 24.

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