Forge FC 2020 Season Preview

Arrivals and Departures

The first champions in CanPL history have largely kept their squad intact leading into the Island Games, with the least amount of roster turnover of any club - 5 players out, 6 players in, and 1 player who came in and then went out before a ball was kicked.

The most noticeable absentee is last year’s MVP, Tristan Borges, who moved on to Belgian side OH Leuven in the off-season. Thirteen goals and five assists (top of the league in both categories) will not be easy to replace, and newcomer Paolo Sabak is expected to help pick up the slack. The highly-skilled Belgian spent most of last season with the U21 squad of Dutch side NEC Nijmegen. Comfortable in the centre of the park or on either flank, there are plenty of similarities to draw with Borges, but whether he can put it all together off the hop in PEI will be key to Forge’s success.

Also leaving Tim Hortons Field were defensive stalwart Bertrand Owundi (the most surprising non-Borges departure), Guyana international keeper Quillan Roberts, defensive midfielder Giuliano Frano, and bit part Justin Stoddart. Former Canadian international keeper David Monsalve was signed as Roberts’ replacement, but has already left for an opportunity in Guatemala.

Beyond Sabak, the big acquisition for the champions was former Impact player and Canadian national team member Maxim Tissot, last with Ottawa Fury. He’ll add a more attacking dimension to the leftback position, as well as allow Kwame Awuah to slide into a midfield role more often. The other big arrival is a familiar name to Canadian supporters - former TFC forward Molham Balbouli, whose travels since leaving BMO Field have been well-documented. Rounding out the new arrivals are three depth signings: Canadian forward Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti on a USports deal, defender Jordan Dunstan from NPSL side Chattanooga, and backup keeper Baj Maan.

Projected Lineup

Forge is expected to line up in a similar fashion to last season, using a 4-2-3-1 system which allows the attacking midfielder (most likely Sabak) a free role behind the striker. It also plays to starting striker Anthony Novak’s skillset - bringing other players into the play, rather than fashioning chances himself.

Novak will lead the line for most of the tournament, and his classic target-man style meshes well with Forge’s other attackers. Expect Marcel Zajac who had a fairly disappointing first season to be the main option off the bench. Out wide, Forge is blessed with the deepest contingent of wingers in the league. Kadell Thomas - scorer of that goal last year - and David Choinière will likely share time on the left, with Chris Nanco starting on the right. Balbouli has the flexibility to slot in anywhere up top, and Sabak may even be used on the wings from time to time.

More likely though is that Sabak operates behind Novak and in front of a midfield pair consisting of deep-lying playmaker and set piece specialist Kyle Bekker, and underrated Swedish defensive midfielder Alexander Achinoti-Jonsson. Awuah and Elimane Cisse offer more useful options for the centre of the park.

At the back, the addition of Tissot (if he stays healthy) keeps Forge in the running with Cavalry for the best backline in the league, with Daniel Krutzen, David Edgar and Jonathan Grant alongside him. Despite not getting any younger, we argue that Edgar is still up there with the best centrebacks in the league, and Krutzen showed last year he’s up there as well. The worry with Grant is whether he can stay healthy, but his quality is evident when he’s in the lineup.

In goal, it’s arguable whether Triston Henry is one of the league’s elite keepers (we would argue “no”), but his stats and championship ring (does CanPL do that?) are hard to overlook. We’d be surprised if backup Maan sees the field in PEI.

The Big Questions

Will Sabak replace Borges’ production?

Arguably the million dollar question for Forge, although contrary to some beliefs we don’t see last year’s champions as having been a one-man show. Regardless, Sabak has been hyped up (mostly by the CanPL’s notorious power-ranking hype machine) as Borges’ replacement and he’ll need to provide some offence if we’re going to see a repeat champion. We expect a good showing, but maybe not to the level some are expecting.

Is Anthony Novak really a starting striker?

All due respect, we see Novak as a less talented but more productive Marcus Haber… I think that’s a good thing overall?! As mentioned earlier, he suits Forge’s style and creates space and opportunities for the talented offensive players around him, while popping up with a few goals of his own (6 in 16 league games last season). Those numbers even outshine the more heralded Emery Welshman, who departed for Israel halfway through the season. But on a short pitch where there’s less forgiveness of a weak first touch, we have some questions on how he’ll perform in season two. Probably nailed on that he scores in the opener now…

What is Triston Henry?

I think a lot of CanPL watchers (us included) were surprised when Henry ended up the team’s starting goalkeeper over Quillan Roberts (fresh from LAFC) last season. Sorry, we don’t get to see much League 1 Ontario up here. But he ended up holding down the starting spot for most of the year, with Roberts only starting 8 league games, and jointly led the league in clean sheets with Marco Carducci. With that said, he wasn’t always convincing between the pipes, and I can’t help but wonder if the absence of real competition for the starting role will have a negative effect.

The Main Lads

David Edgar

As a Sunderland and Cavalry supporter, it pains me that Edgar’s had such unfortunate choices in clubs throughout his career. With that said, we’re also supporters of Canadian football, so were excited to see Edgar back home last season. He didn’t disappoint, solidifying a defence that, up to his arrival in August, wasn’t exactly leak-proof. Forge didn’t lost a single league game where Edgar played, and their only two league losses after his arrival came when he didn’t play. In these two games, they surrendered 6 goals. In the finals, Edgar’s professional experience was noticeable in comparison to many of his teammates who got caught up in the atmosphere, and he was a stalwart throughout the second leg as Cavalry tried to break Forge down. He still has a few years left in him yet.

Maxim Tissot

Long expected to sign with the new Ottawa team, the former Canadian international instead moved to the Golden Horseshoe in one of the league’s biggest transfers. Now 28, Tissot adds experience and another dimension to Forge’s left side. He’ll likely be a fixture at leftback in PEI, but can also be deployed at left wing if needed. The big question is durability - his last full season was back in 2017 with the one-year-wonder SF Deltas of the NASL, and he’s only played 17 league games since. But if he can stay healthy, Forge have made a coup.

Kyle Bekker

While possibly overrated a tad in some circles (sorry - we don’t think he’s the *best* player in the league), there’s no arguing that Bekker (another SF Deltas alum) was one of the key elements of Forge’s win last year. In a league like CanPL, having a dead-ball expert like Bekker is a huge advantage, and it showed. He jointly led the league in assists with 5, added 4 goals of his own, and left one big elbow-shaped imprint on Joe di Chiara. The knocks against him in MLS (lack of pace, easy to knock off the ball) weren’t noticeable at this level, and his qualities shone through. At 29, he’s entering his prime as a deep playmaking midfielder, and should be ever-present at the Island Games.

X-factor

Kadell Thomas

Thomas scored easily the best goal in CanPL last season (sorry CanPL writers, there’s no way Borges was aiming to score direct from that corner - and the goalie was Jan-Michael Williams…) and he also added two others, including Forge’s first ever goal. His pace and dribbling skills are a unique combination in the league, and we think he’s ready for a more consistent starting role in PEI, although Forge’s depth on the wings means he’ll likely rotate in and out of the lineup.

Disgruntled Thought

How's the Hamilton bias going to inevitably play out without a home field advantage?

Prediction

Forge comes to PEI with the benefit of a squad that’s mostly intact from last year’s championship, is clearly one of the best in the leagues at several positions, but is missing one significant piece. The team has the talent and depth to overcome Borges’ absence, especially with additions Sabak, Tissot and Balbouli, but their tactics were so intertwined with Borges last season we have to wonder how Smyrniotis will adjust. That said, we’re expecting another strong performance, and possibly some more silverware to boot.

Round-robin prediction: 2nd