After clinching a playoff spot on Monday, Pacific FC now travels to Hamilton to face Forge FC in a massive match at the top end of the table. The second-place Pacific visit third-placed Forge for the second time this season, again coming off a dominant win – this time over York United FC. The Tridents will look to ride their current form to another three points in Ontario and return home from the three-match road trip unbeaten.

There’s been extra spice added to this fixture ever since the 2021 Canadian Premier League Final between these two that Pacific won 1-0 to earn the club’s first championship. Now, there’s even more tension present than in those other regular season meetings thanks to how close the playoffs are on the horizon. With the Tridents on 40 points and Forge on 39, the winner of this match will be have a hold on second place with just two games remaining. With the added value finishing in the top two spots in the new-look playoff format has, getting a result in this match is of the utmost importance.

For the Tridents, it’s not just the fight for the top two spots that’s on the cards with three matches remaining. The club still has the regular season title – and new Canadian Premier League Shield – that’s within reach with Cavalry six points ahead. If Pacific wins its next two fixtures and sees the Cavs lose one of their’s, that would set up an all-timer on the final day of the regular season as the two face off in a direct shootout for the shield. Before that point, however, the Tridents need to focus on the match right in front of them and put all effort into finding all three points on Saturday – a task not always easy in Hamilton, but one that the club has done on the biggest occasion before.

History

It’s been a tale exclusive made of road victories when Pacific and Forge line up this season. In fact, going back to 2022, the home side hasn’t won in this fixture since the second meeting of that season. The last four matches have also seen the home side shutout in each of them. Perhaps there’s a sense of playing more freely on the road for both of these teams, but will we see more of the same on Saturday?

Although Pacific has chipped away at the all time head-to-head record in the past, it currently stands at 11 wins for Forge, four wins for the Tridents, and two draws.

Quote

“We know how important it is to finish in the top two. We’re still going to fight, it’s not over in terms of winning the league, we have to keep going, we have to keep pushing with full focus on this game” — Pacific FC head coach James Merriman

Keys to Victory

We’ve seen a more even split in the matches between Pacific and Forge over the past couple of seasons, ever since that CPL Final victory for the Tridents in 2021. And in those matches, Pacific has shown a different approach and style than it has in other matches throughout the season. Buoyed by the strong individual abilities of its defensive group, we’ve seen a team more ready to drop off and allow the opposition to have the ball when lining up against the Hammers.

In the last match in Hamilton, Pacific had its fourth-lowest share of possession in a match this season with 44%. The Tridents are normally set up to control the larger share of possession, but on that occasion it allowed Pacific to frustrate the home side and ultimately come away with a well-earned 1-0 victory. Watch for more of the same on Saturday, especially with it being so late in the season when mistakes in possession are amplified and quality defensive and transitional play can earn results, especially away from home.

Match Facts to Know

• Pacific FC and Forge FC are the only two teams still mathematically able to catch Cavalry FC at the top of the Canadian Premier League table with three games remaining.
• Pacific FC’s Ayman Sellouf is currently on eight assists and 15 goal contributions this season. The single-season records in the Canadian Premier League are nine assists and 18 goal contributions. Sellouf already has Pacific’s single-season record for assist and sits one goal contribution off that single-season club record (16).
• After last weekend’s four-goal outburst against York United FC, Pacific FC now sits on 195 goals scored in all competitions in club history – five goals off reaching the 200 mark.