• Valour Head Coach Phil Dos Santos was serving a suspension from last year and the club was handled by assistant Daryl Fordyce, who played three seasons for Valour
• Tristan Borges delivered several nice services for Forge
• Brian Wright’s goal was his first since Aug. 2 last season when he was with York United
• Valour fullbacks Zach Fernandez and Themi Antonoglou had impactful games
• Valour forward Kris Twardek was a force, and his nice bicycle pass in the box set up Shaan Hundal for the tap-in to give Winnipeg the early lead.

• Forge defender Dan Nimick leads the CPL with 7 interceptions and goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat is tops with 2 clean sheets.
• Alex Achinioti-Jönsson is third in interceptions and fourth in passes.
• Mo Babouli ranks with 5 shots
• Defender Zayne Bruno, who impressed in his pro debut two weeks ago before incurring a red card, returns to the lineup after the mandatory one-game suspension
• Nana Ampomah, Khadim Kane, Achinioti-Jönsson and Kyle Bekker were named to the Week 2 all-CPL team.
• Appropriately ,the on-field Easter egg hunt on the Hamilton Stadium pitch right after Saturday’s game is sponsored by the Egg Farmers of Canada
• As the Forge development network continues to expand, the club has entered a new technical partnership with FC Laval’s boys youth program.

And he was playing a brand-new position.

Khadim Kane, who won’t turn 20 until the middle of next month, scored his first professional goal to give Forge FC a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute of Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Pacific FC, a final score which wildly flattered the home team.

“It felt amazing,” Kane said after he moved from his right defensive back position into the Pacific box to finish a textbook four-touch set piece.

“It was my first time and when it happened I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have a celebration planned.”

And why would he?  The net he usually concentrates on was nearly 100 metres behind him and he’s preoccupied with keeping balls out of that one.

The 6-foot-3 Kane has spent much of his soccer life as a defensive midfielder but in the continued injury absence of Elimane Cissé and with rookie Zayne Bruno ineligible Saturday because of his red card on Opening Day, Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis gave Kane the start at right fullback. “It was my first time ever at right back and I really have to work on the tactical part,” Kane says. “I have to see and learn how to move with the others in the back. Sometimes right now, I’m just moving.”

Forge will take it. He has quickly flattened out the learning curve and, along with the other parts of an increasingly cohesive core of defenders—Alex Achinioti-Jönsson, Dan Nimick, Marko Jevremović, Malik Owolabi-Belewu,  Rezart Rama—helped stymie the frustrated Pacific attackers. It was a frustrating evening for the Tridents who came into the season hoping for more offence but are still a work in progress…and there was no progress against a surround-sound Hamilton back wall.

It was the second time in a season which is only two weeks old, that Smyrniotis had taken a teenager and asked him to play out of position at right back and the results have reached beyond expectation. Until he was expelled against Cavalry FC, Bruno had shown extremely well and on Vancouver Island it was Kane’s turn to step in and step up.

“It’s something we discussed in pre-season,” Smyrniotis said. “Khadim had been playing quite a bit in the No. 6 (defensive midfielder) but when we were in training in Cancun we saw him in different situations playing in back, whether at central defender or as a right back, areas of the field where we thought we’d need cover with Cissé being out. And now it looks like we have an option in several different places.

“It’s important for these young guys to be flexible and play a few positions. So we have a player we know can play midfield and now we know though pre-season and this game that he can slot in and play on the back for us.

“He made the right decisions most of the time. No game is perfect but he was mature about it, he moved the ball into the right spaces at the right time. And he also kept it patient and that was important.”

While it’s early yet—26 regular-season games to go—there are some interesting dynamics emerging on this team. While Hamilton is loaded with trophy-winning veterans, younger players have been given plenty of opportunity to make their marks: even as early as Game 2 of the Champions Cup against CF Monterrey. They’ve been brought in as late substitutions for energy injection and style change or, in the case of Bruno and Kane, to start at a position that had been temporarily thinned out.

Additionally, Smyrniotis has asked his offensive players to become more aggressive defensively, and his defending players to become more aggressive in the attack.

So far, so good as the Forge has run up back-to-back clean sheets against the only two other teams who’ve ever won the CPL championship, and both of Saturday’s goals (Jönsson, a 60th-minute header) were scored by backliners. And on Kane’s goal, Jevremović took a set-piece pass from Kyle Bekker and directed it artfully to Nimick who headed it over to Kane.

“I think the coach is happy,” Kane said. “Every day in training we do set pieces..and it’s working.”

Kane was born in Senegal and began playing soccer there at the age of three before moving with his family to St. Laurent, in the northern part of Montréal. He played youth soccer for Salabery before moving to CF Montréal’s academy, graduating to senior soccer with their U-23 squad in the provincial senior league, when he was 16.

The next year he moved to Forge, signng an Exceptional Young Talent contract which has since been converted to a standard CPL player contract. He dressed for 26 Forge games that year and also spent brief time on loan  with League1 affiliate Sigma the past two seasons.

He had planned on staying in school and remaining with CF Montréal’s program but his agent suggested it would be better for his development to come to Forge, so he finished his high school on line and in the fall will begin on-line studies at CGEP (junior college).

Smyrniotis and his staff brought Kane along at a deliberate pace, allowing him to learn from the veterans around him in practice, getting him valuable game playing time and, like other youngsters before and with him, introducing him to the highest-stakes soccer in Champions  Cup. He got into the final minute of the opening game against Monterrey but played the last 19 minutes in the second leg, as he, Noah Jensen, Ben Paton and Maxime Filion injected new energy into a game, and series, which was already decided.

“Against a big team like that, it was just amazing,” Kane recalls. “I don’t even know how to describe it.

“I was 17 when I played my first game here and we had good players like Béni Badibanga, Abou Sissoko and Garven (Metusala). Those guys helped me with my development. Now I’m feeling more mature.”

He’s also on the national team’s radar. He was called up to Canada’s U-20 team last July and played two games in the Concacaf championship tournament. Because he hasn’t played senior internationally he’s still eligible to choose Senegal or Canada should either come looking. And his performance in the CPL so far has not hurt his chances.

While Smyrniotis says Kane has a fleetness to him which allows him to succeed on vertical runs, and also cut into the middle to add a little unanticipated flavour to the offence, Kane himself says “I’m not fast. But I’m not slow.”

As a young player he was a centre back then shifted to defensive midfielder at the age of 15 with CF Montréal, “so I have a defensive thing in me. But I just want to play. I don’t care where I’m playing.”

Smyrniotis is gratified to see a young player who’s worked hard in practice get rewarded with something as significant as his first goal as a pro. That kind of positive reinforcement tends to increase a player’s confidence.

“The biggest thing with him is that his defensive play is excellent,” Smyrniotis said. “His tackling ability, his ability to win the ball. That comes a lot from playing as a 6. He makes sure things don’t get behind us. There were a few moments when Pacific was getting close but all harm was taken away with him making just a simple interception or a simple tackle and getting us the ball back. And then making the right decision in putting the ball at the right person’s feet to get us going.

“Two weeks in a row we’ve asked a young guy to take a new position on the field and I thought he was excellent at executing that.”

Kane was all smiles as the Hammers returned to training Monday, which was two years to the day after he signed his first Forge contract.

“I’m very happy to be here,” he said.  “Day by day, I enjoy life.”

KHADIMMMMMMMMMM🔥⚽️ https://t.co/nrzAziwfdB

— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) April 12, 2025

Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC) 

Achinioti-Jönsson heads one home! ⚽️ https://t.co/gfqMX7P3o3

— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) April 12, 2025

Nana Ampomah (Forge FC) 

Kyle Bekker (Forge FC) 

Final Score: Pacific FC 0-2 Forge FC Goalscorers: Kane 44', Achinioti-Jönsson 60' Game of the 2025 season: 5 CPL match: 601

Match in a minute or less

Three Observations

Set piece magic paces Forge victory:

Pacific struggles to find rhythm in possession:

Forge's right side shines amid changes:

What They Said

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Khadim Kane, Forge FC

What’s next?

“Their ground is the smallest one in the league,” says Forge Sporting Director and Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “You need a good deal of concentration when you play there and really have a game plan.”

Saturday afternoon’s game (5 p.m. ET, TSN, OneSoccer) in Langford on Vancouver Island pits two teams who each picked up three bankable points at home on the CPL’s opening weekend — and didn’t concede a goal doing it. The Tridents beat Valour 2-0 in a match where the run of play was far more dominant than the final score suggested. The Hammers held off a stronger opponent, surviving the final 24 minutes with just 10 men to secure a 1-0 win over Cavalry FC. But that was last week — this is now. Forge moves from their expansive home pitch, which they used to full advantage until rookie Zayne Bruno was sent off, to the tighter, postage-stamp dimensions of Starlight Stadium.

“It takes away all the lanes for a possession-based team,” Smyrniotis says. “You just have to be quicker. The good thing is that we train a lot in small spaces. You’ve got to make adjustments, be a little faster in execution, and a bit more patient on the ball. Luckily, we do both very well.”

Forge, entering their third three-year cycle, has maintained much of its core but made some changes along the backline —and added Brian Wright and Mo Babouli up front.

Meanwhile, Pacific — who beat Forge for the 2021 league title on a winner from current Forge player Ali Hojabrpour — has trimmed and transformed its roster, bringing in around a dozen new faces. In 2024, they were defensively solid but struggled mightily in front of goal, finishing fifth and exiting in the first round of the playoffs.

They’ve added offensive firepower by bringing back Marco Bustos from Sweden’s IFK Värnamo, as well as Mexican striker Emanuel Montejano, forward Yann Toulay from the Quebec senior league, and promising 21-year-old Ronan Kratt, who spent time with York three years ago and scored nine goals in 18 matches in Germany’s lower divisions last season. They’ll join holdovers Josh Heard and Dario Zanatta in the attack.

Zanatta and Toulay both found the net in the opener, and Bustos was omnipresent.

“It’s early in the season to see where everything is going to come from,” Smyrniotis says of Pacific’s offence. “It’s no different for us. We have a way of playing and teams know that, but there are a lot of different pieces in how we do it — and I think it’s the same thing for them. It’s too early to tell. Like I always say, in the first few games we focus on ourselves and build our ability to apply our principles in each and every match.

“It’s important to respect your opponent, but until you see a team play three or four games, you can’t identify tendencies. You can’t draw conclusions from one or two games.”

“They’ve had turnover at all positions. They weren’t the strongest attacking team last year and they’ve tried to address that in the off-season. There are changes in goal (Max Anchor), the backline, and midfield (former TFC player Kadin Chung). They’re quite a different team — but it’s the same coach (James Merriman), and he’s made them a much more resolute group, especially at home.”

Forge has had a few injury concerns, but every player except goalkeeper Chris Kalongo (recovering from foot surgery) is back in training. Bruno, of course, will miss Saturday’s game due to his red card, but defender Rezart Rama returns to the lineup after missing last week with a knock.

To minimize the effects of the three-time-zone jump, Forge flew out Thursday night and will train Friday afternoon, wrapping their session 24 hours ahead of kickoff.

And while the team had some bonding time during their trip to Mexico for Champions Cup, a long road trip early in the season doesn’t hurt — especially for a group with about half a dozen new players.

“One other thing — especially for the new guys — is that it gets them acclimatized to the longest trip we have in the CPL,” Smyrniotis says. “You get it out of the way early and understand, ‘This is something I’m going to deal with a few times a year, especially with trips to Vancouver and the Island.’ It helps.”

Hammers and Nails

This match will feature seven of the 11 players named to the CPL Team of the Week from Opening Day:

• Forge FC: Jassem Koleilat (GK), Mo Babouli (MF), Marko Jevremović (DF), Dan Nimick (DF)

• Pacific FC: Ronan Kratt (FW), Juan Quintana (DF), Kadin Chung (MF)

• Smyrniotis confirmed in his pre-match press conference that defender Malik Owolabi-Belewu will miss the match due to injury but is close to returning.

• Forge’s Jassem Koleilat is currently third in the CPL in saves (6), just two behind Vancouver’s Callum Irving. Pacific’s Kadin Chung is tied for the league lead in tackles (5).

There was so much to remember from that enchanting home opener, it’s easy to forget that Alex Achinioti-Jönsson salvaged two points from the trash heap and placed them squarely back in Forge’s account.

Almost lost in the chaos of added time—highlighted by the acrobatic brilliance of Hammers’ goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat,
a heavy Cavalry FC shot clanging off the post like a horseshoe, and a couple of glorious but missed Cavs’ chances—was Achinioti-Jönsson soaring, almost into the net himself, to head away Jesse Daley’s perfectly placed strike that was destined for the top-left corner.

With only his head staying behind the goal line, the Swedish native somehow steered the ball clear—if only temporarily—to preserve the 1-0 lead and deny Calgary, playing 11-vs-10, a point they felt was theirs.

“It was just instinct,” Achinioti-Jönsson said, almost matter-of-factly—unsurprising, given this wasn’t his first goal-line rescue in an impressive CPL career. “It was a good chance for them, a good header, and I thought, ‘Aw crap, it’s going over me.’

“I was glad to help our keeper. We talk about that a lot—trying to make their life easier—and I think our whole back unit does that. But it’s Jass who deserves the credit.”

Forge has retooled its backline, with Achinioti-Jönsson and Malik Owolabi-Belewu the only returnees from last year. Both were named last week among nine players in a new CPL category: the Domestic Player Designation. Inspired by the CFL’s “Nationalized American” rule, the new designation shifts international players who’ve been with their club for at least three full contract years from “international” to “domestic”—essentially, “Canadian.” Achinioti-Jönsson hails from southwest Sweden, near the Danish border, and Owolabi-Belewu is from London, England. Elimane Cissé is the third Forge player to qualify. Cavalry’s Tom Field and standout striker Tobias Warschewski are also among the nine.

These players no longer count against a team’s limit of seven non-Canadians on the master roster. However, they do count toward the required six Canadians on the pitch during a match.

It’s a progressive rule change—one that promotes roster continuity and readies the league for what appears to be an imminent expansion.

“It obviously helps,” said Forge Sporting Director and Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis. “Alex is in his seventh year in this country, and from that perspective, he’s as Canadian as they come. He’s been a constant since Day One.”

And constant is right. Last season, Achinioti-Jönsson played every second of every league match—the only player in the league to do so. He added full minutes in three playoff matches, two Champions Cup games, and five national championship contests. The year before, he ended the season with five straight 90-minute appearances.

Across the past four full seasons, he’s featured in 134 of Forge’s 140 official matches—playing from kickoff to final whistle in the vast majority.

“I think it’s just who I am,” he says of his ironman streak. “Mentally, I hate not being there. Not being at training, not being in games. So yeah, you play hurt sometimes. You pick up little things over the years—especially on turf. It wears you down.”

While Saturday’s heroic goal-line clearance came from a mix of experience, geometry, and flexibility, many of his shot blocks are just pure grit. As a centre back, he faces burly strikers leaning on him like broncos, or nimble wingers darting past at full speed. Some attackers can strike the ball at nearly 100 km/h. He often looks like he’s been through MMA camp the first few days after a game. Yet come the next match, there he is—playing the full 90, clearing danger and keeping the sheet clean.

“A lot of my thinking outside the stadium is, ‘What can I do to feel better physically?’” he says. “A lot of my decisions off the pitch are based on that. Nutrition, rest, recovery. I do hot baths at home, foam rolling, agility work for an hour at night before I relax. It’s not something I want to do—it’s a drag—but I know it helps me stay on the field and avoid injuries. So as long as it works, I’ll do it.”

Turning 29 next week, Achinioti-Jönsson is one of those Forge players who feels older than he is—largely due to how long he’s been playing professionally. Growing up in Hittarp, Sweden’s closest municipality to Denmark, he was suiting up with grown men on the local sixth- or seventh-tier club by the age of 14.

“It wasn’t high-level, but at 14 I was playing with guys in their 30s, some of whom had played in the third or fourth division. It wasn’t an academy—it was physical. You’d get thrown around. You learn fast.”

That molded his physical style and deepened his love for defending, even though he started primarily as a midfielder. He turned pro with Helsingborgs just after his 18th birthday, spending four seasons there—three in Sweden’s top flight before the club was relegated. He had the chance to join a first-division side in 2018, but, as he put it, “they were the kind of team that bounced between promotion and relegation. I’d seen too many players stuck in that loop. I didn’t want to be one of them.”

His agent had mentioned a new league launching in Canada. Initially, Achinioti-Jönsson dismissed it—but eventually warmed to the idea, signing with Forge a few months before their 2019 debut.

“I got the opportunity I wanted, but the first few weeks were rough,” he admits. “Coming from an established pro setup to living in a hotel in Hamilton… the first month I saw highways, a Walmart, and parking lots. Eventually I started seeing more of the city and getting integrated.”

That integration went deeper than he expected. He met his fiancée, Brittany—a Canadian—while celebrating Forge’s 2019 championship in Hamilton.

“We met that night, and it’s worked out pretty well,” he says with a grin.

They’ll be married at the end of this season.

When Forge was hit by injuries, Achinioti-Jönsson shifted to centre back—and thrived. He was named the CPL’s Defender of the Year in 2022, the award’s inaugural season.

“Pretty good for a midfielder,” he joked at the time.

He was a finalist again last year, and a 2022 finalist for CPL Player of the Year. He remains the only Swede to be a finalist for any CPL award.

No player has appeared in more CPL matches than Achinioti-Jönsson. The only other non-Canadian in the top 10 is HFX Wanderers’ Andre Rampersad, who’s also been with his club since Day One.

CPL executive vice-president Costa Smyrniotis, brother of Forge’s coach, says the Domestic Player designation was inspired in part by players like Achinioti-Jönsson and Rampersad.

“We looked at guys who’ve been in the league from Day One,” he said. “If they commit long-term, maybe others from their countries will too. It shows Canada’s a great place to play, the league’s improving, and there’s opportunity here—for players and families.

“It’s about evaluating what we have, rewarding those who’ve helped build the league, and supporting the domestic development goal. These designated players add different kinds of experience and help raise the overall level. It complements our Canadian talent, not competes with it.”

It also gives fans continuity—familiar faces who are fixtures on and off the pitch. Inside the locker room, they’re living repositories of club history and culture.

The new designation resonates with Achinioti-Jönsson.

“It’s good for the team—opens up an international spot,” he says. “I’ve been here a long time, and it feels like a second home. Canada is built on immigration and diverse cultures trying to build something better. I hope I’m contributing to that.

“I felt welcome from Day One, and that’s Canada’s world view. I never thought I’d be here this long—three years, max. But there aren’t many places where you can really leave a legacy. You can make money somewhere for a year or two and disappear. Here, I feel like I’ll be remembered for what I’ve done. That matters.

“It’s not all about money. Not for me. I get it if it is for others.

“But for me, it’s about living a meaningful life. I feel fulfilled doing what I’ve done here—and having experiences like playing in Mexico and Central America. I don’t know if any other Swede has played in as many Central American countries as I have.

“It’s a special thing.”

One game in, and he’s already submitted two candidates for Save of the Year.

While Forge FC—and, for that matter, Cavalry FC—delivered across the entire pitch in their riveting CPL opener at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, it was the darting left arm of Hammers’ goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat that ultimately preserved a 1-0 win and secured three crucial points for the home side.

The two game-saving stops came in each half of an intense match, which unfolded in two distinct acts: Forge dominated possession for the first 71 minutes—though Cavalry still found a few golden chances—followed by a final 19 minutes (plus six in stoppage time) of relentless Cavalry pressure after Forge was reduced to 10 men. Rookie Zayne Bruno was sent off with a second yellow card.

Cavalry found their rhythm after a cautious start. In the 27th minute, veteran playmaker Fraser Aird floated a perfect cross into the box, which the ever-dangerous Tobias Warschewski launched toward the upper left corner. Koleilat, moving in the opposite direction and already beyond the goal line, somehow defied momentum, leaping back and upward to claw the sure goal away.

“He made that massive save on Toby in the first half when I thought it was in—I was already celebrating,” Aird said afterward. “We caught their keeper on a day where we could’ve spent all night trying to score.”

In a low-scoring sport like soccer, a goal—especially a road goal in a windy stadium—changes everything. But thanks to that save, nothing changed. Eventually, the Hammers struck first with Mo Babouli’s opening goal in his second stint with the club.

What did change was Forge’s numbers. Down a man, Forge faced a relentless Cavalry side determined to take advantage. The final moments were a shooting gallery: a missed open net, a shot off the post, a goal-line clearance by Forge defender Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, and then Koleilat’s second highlight-reel save—this one diving low to his left to get just enough of a laser shot from German forward Nicolas Wähling.

“In those moments, you just hope the final whistle comes sooner than later,” Koleilat admitted—his only concession of the night. “It’s a game of details, and when you’re down a man with 20 minutes left, you’ve got to dig deep. You play like it’s 40 minutes, not 20. You rely on effort, communication, and attention to detail. That last stretch becomes a grind.”

The two game-defining saves came under very different circumstances. The first resembled the rhythm Koleilat’s grown used to since joining as a late replacement for Triston Henry last winter: long stretches of inactivity followed by intense bursts of action, much like during his time with powerhouse Iowa Western in Junior College.

“I think the one in the first half shows what I’ve been saying about this team,” he said. “It’s something to be proud of—being able to show up when the team needs me. Obviously, it wasn’t the same compared to the last 20 minutes, which were total chaos.”

The save against the prolific Warschewski will be hard to top. Still, Koleilat compares it to one he made against Amer Didić with his right foot in last year’s 1-0 semifinal win over Atlético Ottawa.

Those stops—Saturday’s and last year’s—came down to the same thing: reaction time. No time to strategize, just pure instinct, honed through years of repetition. Koleilat’s injured goalkeeper partner, Chris Kalongo, shares those same instincts.

“Last year I said we had the two best goalkeepers in the league—and we believe in them,” Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis said post-match. “Jass was lights-out last year. His performance today shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s the goalkeeper-of-the-moment for Forge, and when called upon in the first 72 minutes, he delivered.”

Last season, Kalongo and Koleilat each played in 14 of Forge’s 28 regular-season games, logging identical minutes. They were separated by just one save—40 for Koleilat, 39 for Kalongo—but Koleilat led the league in clean sheets among keepers with fewer than 20 appearances, cementing his role as starter.

Koleilat to Anchor Forge Through Playoffs

Born in Prague to a Lebanese mother and a Lebanese-Czech father, Koleilat qualifies as Canadian under FIFA rules after spending his early childhood in Montreal. He began playing soccer in Dubai, joined an academy in France at 16, and later suited up for AC Sparta Prague's U-23s. He then chose the college route: first at Iowa Western, then the University of New Hampshire. Drafted by LAFC, he spent two years in their system before resetting his career and signing with Forge for the 2024 Champions Cup, having briefly trained with the team in 2022.

The save off Wähling came on a shot powerful enough to dislocate a non-keeper’s shoulder, but Koleilat said he felt no pain—not during the moment or afterward.

“It’s nothing special, really—you just push it away. No weird feeling. You grow up doing this, so it feels natural. I think it’s just all the reps from games and all the work I’ve done with athletic trainers here and elsewhere that help me stay ready.”

Because one of his brilliant saves came when Forge controlled possession and the other when they were under siege, each came behind different defensive systems. With 11 men, Forge ran their usual spread four-back set. Down a man, they dropped into a compact five-man rearguard with midfielders helping out, forcing Cavalry into more long-range shots. Cavalry had 24 shots to Forge’s seven, but only six were on target—just two more than Forge.

“It changes a bit,” Koleilat said. “You kind of force the other team into crossing more. They did well on those, but we did well in managing them and pushing them away.

“We know how to handle that as a group. Coach Bobby has us play down a man in training sometimes—just to see how we respond.”

SETTING THE TONE

Despite threatening skies before kickoff, Saturday’s match drew a Forge franchise-record crowd for a home opener—excluding the free-admission debut in 2019—with 7,963 fans in attendance, breaking the previous mark of 7,351 from last year’s opener, also against Cavalry.

It also marked the first-ever CPL match broadcast on TSN.

TSN Debut for CPL: Forge vs. Cavalry

And viewers were treated to a showcase. The first half was tactical and cagey, with quality chances at both ends. The second half opened up, displaying the skill of the CPL’s two historically top teams.

There were mistakes, of course, but both teams looked well-prepared. Each had played two intense Champions Cup matches. Forge had played 11 games total since returning for the 2025 season—most of them friendlies. Smyrniotis noted, “That long period helped us, especially with so many new faces. That extra time was valuable.”

Both sides relished the national spotlight.

“It was massive,” said Aird. “Two teams that have been in finals, big rivals. Everyone wants to see us play Forge. These are probably the most-watched games on OneSoccer. It was big for the players—we were on a national stage, more eyes on us. That’s the kind of football people want to watch: attacking, energetic. The last 25 minutes were exciting—lots of chances, even with the red card. We kept pressing, and they held strong.”

BACK IN THE FOLD

Though he played in the two Champions Cup games vs. CF Monterrey, Saturday marked Mo Babouli’s official return to Forge FC in CPL action after a year in Qatar and two seasons with York United. A key part of Forge’s 2022 and 2023 title runs, he was relieved to head in the game’s only goal (58th minute) on Opening Day.

He had high praise for Koleilat, especially the leaping save on Warschewski’s header.

“Jass had an incredible game,” Babouli said. “When your goalie makes a big save, it makes you want to defend harder, run more, respond to that energy. He had a brilliant game today—but really, everyone in the back line did. We were all feeding off each other.”

HAMMERS AND NAILS:

• Zayne Bruno, just 18, played well in his professional debut before receiving a second yellow in the 72nd minute. His ejection kept CPL Player of the Year Tristan Borges on the bench.

• “We were planning to bring Borges in,” Smyrniotis explained, “but once we went down a man, we had to adjust—freshen up, shift to a true back five, and play a bit differently.”

• Serbian left-back Marko Jevremovic impressed in his CPL debut, setting up Babouli’s goal and battling Cavalry’s Fraser Aird on the flank. “I think this is my fourth left back in four seasons—and he’s a good one,” said Aird.

• Hamilton native Dino Bontis served as Forge’s backup goalkeeper.

• Late substitutions included young talents Khadim Kane (19), rookie Maxime Filion (21), and Ben Paton (24)—the latter two making their CPL debuts.

• Koleilat, Nimick, Jevermovic and Babouli all named to the CPL Team of the Week for Match week 1.

SAVE OF THE MATCH 🧤 Presented by @AllstateCanada @ForgeFCHamilton's Jassem Koleilat denied Tobias Warchewski with this cheeky save ✅ pic.twitter.com/nHew3rpX8x

— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) April 5, 2025

Dan Nimick (Defender) 

Marko Jevremović (Defender)

Mo Babouli (Attacker)

THE CROSS, THE FINISH 😩

WHAT A GOAL! https://t.co/sGfGLrMD9k

— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) April 5, 2025

Final Score: Forge FC 1-0 Cavalry FC Goalscorers: Babouli 58' Game of the 2025 season: 2 CPL match: 598

Match in a minute or less

Three Observations

New-look teams, same entertaining clash between two CPL powerhouses

Cavalry's late charge held off by ten-man Forge FC

Tobias Warschewski up to his old tricks, but unable to kickstart Golden Boot defence

Regular partner. Familiar rhythm. New dance. We’ve been here before, many times, but like stepping into a river, it’s never quite the same twice.

Forge FC vs. Cavalry FC: the Canadian Premier League’s version of all-season radials. Just five months ago, they were closing out 2024 in Calgary, and now they’re ushering in 2025 in Hamilton.

Saturday marks Opening Day at Hamilton Stadium as the CPL makes its TSN debut, featuring the first-time playoff champions, Cavalry, against the team they defeated 2-1 in last year’s final—regular-season winners Forge, who have won four league championships.

It will be the 33rd time these two CPL standard-bearers meet across all competitions, with Forge holding a 14-10 edge in wins, along with eight draws. Hamilton has made more changes to its projected starting XI than Calgary, which could potentially field 10 of the 11 men who started the 2024 final. However, the Hammers still have many returning veterans, several of whom have won multiple titles with the team.

“You can start the same lineup, but you know it’s a different game with that five-to-six-month gap between matches,” Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon says. “I don’t think any season will mirror the previous one. I’m sure Forge has had a different pre-season than we have; they’ve made new additions.”

And Cavalry made a big one themselves with Thursday’s announcement that they’ve signed 24-year-old midfielder Michael Baldisimo, who has played 59 MLS games with Vancouver and San Jose. His arrival should help mitigate the losses of midfielder Charlie Trafford, who retired, and standout central defender Daan Klomp, who earned a contract in Belgium’s second division.

Forge, as always, kept pace—to say the least—by adding proven talent while exposing younger players to high-intensity soccer during the winter Champions Cup games.

With strikers Terran Campbell and Jordan Hamilton moving on, Daniel Parra returning to Mexico, and longtime defenders Dom Samuel, Malcolm Duncan, and Garven Metusala departing, Forge countered by signing dynamic striker Brian Wright, playmaker Mo Babouli from York United, versatile central defender Dan Nimick from HFX Wanderers, and Serbian fullback Marko Jevremović from the Greek Premier League, while also bringing back former Forge defender Rezart Rama.

“Our principles remain the same,” Forge FC Head Coach and Sporting Director Bobby Smyrniotis points out. “But we also try to treat each season individually, with players bringing something new to the table. We had a fantastic season last year, but I thought at times we were a little too patient off the ball. We want to be more aggressive as a team—maybe something we had in the past. That’s something we’ve worked on and will gradually integrate into our play.”

Still, it’s Cavalry vs. Forge. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This rivalry transcends individual rosters, largely because Smyrniotis and Wheeldon remain the only two head coaches in the league since the CPL’s inception. TSN acknowledges the weight of these two franchises by featuring at least one of them in all five of its April telecasts.

“Reputations are built on the body of work you do,” Wheeldon says. “And it’s a credit to Bobby and, I guess, myself. Before this league existed, we were both dedicated to developing Canadian soccer players. With a professional league in place, we’re seeing the results of our philosophies.

“The fact that we’re involved in these big games showcases the league well. That’s why we’re competing in Concacaf against clubs with longer histories and bigger budgets—and holding our own. If we can bring other CPL teams along with us, a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Cavalry struggled to gain traction in the standings early last season, drawing eight of their first 11 games. But as they got healthier, they found their rhythm and stopped hitting the woodwork. They rode a Golden Boot season from the electrifying Tobias Warschewski, who scored five goals in the final three league games and netted in each of the postseason victories over Forge. He also struck the winner when Cavalry became the first CPL team to win a Concacaf Cup match, defeating Mexico’s Pumas 2-1. Warschewski will be supported by Ali Mussi, Sergio Camargo, and the emerging Jay Herdman.

“They have a lot of returning players,” says Forge defender Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson. “Obviously, losing Klomp is a big blow to their back line; he was a great player for them. It will be interesting to see how they fill that gap. But beyond that, we know what to expect from them—their strengths, their talent. There’s a sense of familiarity.”

Smyrniotis adds: “They’ve added complementary pieces, but for the most part, they remain similar. We’re five or six months removed from our last match, and each club has worked on different areas. These opening games are about focusing on ourselves—executing our strategies on and off the ball—rather than worrying too much about our opponents.”

While every player and coach acknowledges that this is just one of 28 matches, Smyrniotis has clear objectives beyond securing three points. He wants his team to showcase all their best qualities, including a more versatile attack led by the eagle-eyed Nimick, ensuring multiple entry points into scoring positions. And, of course, there’s the emphasis on playing entertaining soccer—a hallmark of Forge under Smyrniotis—which not only enhances the CPL’s brand but also energizes home crowds, creating a tangible competitive advantage.

Despite losing to Cavalry in last year’s 1 vs. 2 playoff game at home, Forge set a franchise record for home points with an 11-2-1 record in the east end—just one point shy of Cavalry’s all-time CPL home record. However, with the playoff defeat and a Champions Cup loss to Monterrey at Hamilton Stadium, the Hammers are eager to reestablish their home dominance.

“We know how important that was to us last season,” Smyrniotis says. “And this is the start. We’ve worked very well in pre-season, done a lot of good things, and the players are excited to get back on the field.” While the broad picture remains unchanged—until proven otherwise, these two are still the class of the league—both Cavalry and Forge have evolved. Cavalry has broken through with playoff and international success, adding to their confidence, while Wheeldon is pleased with his mix of core veterans and a promising group of U-21 players pushing for opportunities.

“These are all new moments, new history,” Wheeldon says. “We’re still a young club in a growing league, and every year we mature a little more. We’re becoming savvier in key games; we’re gaining crucial experience in Concacaf and playoffs. That makes us stronger when it matters most.”

And that’s exactly what Saturday is—a meaningful game, even with months of league play ahead. Wheeldon relishes the challenge of facing Forge, appreciating their roster moves, particularly the acquisitions of Wright, Babouli, and Nimick. “I think they’ll be contenders again; they have the talent and the pedigree,” he says.

“This rivalry has been forged through history and competition. But beyond the fierce battles, there’s real quality. It’s not just about taking lumps—it’s about playing football, breaking down tactics, and evolving the game.”