Match Thread: Voyageurs Cup - Semi-Final - Forge v CF Montreal - October 27, 2021

[canuckgbp]

Yep he is slow. 6'5" but doesn't have much quickness it seems. 

[canuckgbp]

Keepers!

[Gian-Luca]

Henry is moving early every time and Montreal realizes and  just keeps pumping it down the middle.

[narduch]

Keeper v Keeper

[dyslexic nam]

Breza.  

[Cheeta]

OK, that was kinda fun.

[canuckgbp]

Breza comes up big! ahah

[narduch]

After all that Breza puts them through 

[Acid-Tone]

K, That was fucking bonkers!

[Big_M]

forge should have finished in the 90...montreal very weak doesnt look like an mls team

[canuckgbp]

Watching the pens again, Henry def was off his line on a lot of them. 

[Markoaleks]

Any CPL fence sitters- doubt there are many on this chat to be honest 

Forge were full value against a good MLS side 

And 2 tickets cost 20 each- exceptional value 

[jonovision]

1 hour ago, Big_M said:

forge should have finished in the 90...montreal very weak doesnt look like an mls team

That's because they didn't field an MLS lineup.

[Club Linesman]

The difference in quality between an average MLS side and a top CPL team is negligible.  It’s hard to believe that the CPL guys are making so little.  I know it will take time to get the salaries up but they deserve more.  Can’t believe more guys aren’t moving up to MLS as supporting cast for a reasonable dollar.

[jonovision]

48 minutes ago, Markoaleks said:

Any CPL fence sitters- doubt there are many on this chat to be honest 

Forge were full value against a good MLS side 

And 2 tickets cost 20 each- exceptional value 

Forge may go toe to toe occasionally against teams from a bigger league. But they are not like the other teams. Almost every big moment, big decision, etc., since the league opened has gone their way. They have what is, at the very least, a curious talent and recruiting advantage over two-thirds of the league. They are the only team that has had the opportunity to play in big matches. They have the smartest manager in football (just ask him). 

They are a good side and I'm tired of watching them. Happy to see Montreal advance, despite their not taking the tie seriously (see: their XI). There is no trickle-down. Success for Forge doesn't mean squat for Edmonton, Valour, Ottawa, etc.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[gator]

Just home from the match, I am gutted to lose but so proud of our local team from this new league, Forge did really well and I think Montreal were fortunate it went to penalties, it becomes a real crapshoot when it is down to keepers taking them! Of course Forge don't have the resources to compete with MLS teams every night but this match shows you the gap is not as big as many think, hopefully this match brings some new converts out to the matches because that was thoroughly competitive and entertaining!

[gator]

5 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Forge may go toe to toe occasionally against teams from a bigger league. But they are not like the other teams. Almost every big moment, big decision, etc., since the league opened has gone their way. They have what is, at the very least, a curious talent and recruiting advantage over two-thirds of the league. They are the only team that has had the opportunity to play in big matches. They have the smartest manager in football (just ask him). 

They are a good side and I'm tired of watching them. Happy to see Montreal advance, despite their not taking the tie seriously (see: their XI). There is no trickle-down. Success for Forge doesn't mean squat for Edmonton, Valour, Ottawa, etc.

WTF? Why the hate, you have busted on Forge all thread, guess what, Montreal played lots of their starters and were lucky to take it to pk's! You don't think Valour had an advantage by having a bunch of home/neutral matches at the start of the season with Forge having barely trained because of provincial restrictions? If other CPL teams want to get to these "big moments" they have every opportunity to do so on the pitch!

[jonovision]

12 minutes ago, gator said:

WTF? Why the hate, you have busted on Forge all thread, guess what, Montreal played lots of their starters and were lucky to take it to pk's! You don't think Valour had an advantage by having a bunch of home/neutral matches at the start of the season with Forge having barely trained because of provincial restrictions? If other CPL teams want to get to these "big moments" they have every opportunity to do so on the pitch!

My fear about Forge's success is that the other teams do not have even the meager resources of a top CPL side. I know Valour vastly underspends the cap, but Forge have 7 or 8 guys that would be at least the second best player on half the teams in the league. They added top CONCACAF veterans, Welshman and Browne, at mid-season. This is at least eyebrow raising, seeing the bottom of the barrel the other teams are scraping for players. It's great for Forge fans, but it's bad for the league if it's a one-team show.

I made two posts in this thread other than my knocks at Forge, both lamenting Montreal did not particularly take this tie seriously. Neither their best keeper, defender (2 best actually), midfielder, or forward were in the 18. They played a 17 year old who had no business being out there.  And fair play to them, they have bigger priorities with a playoff race in the league.

Edited October 28, 2021 by jonovision

[Cheeta]

25 minutes ago, jonovision said:

That's because they didn't field an MLS lineup.

That lineup would never start in a league test. 

I think.  They did draw Toronto the other night and surrendered a direct goal in stoppage time on a shot that didn't bend around a wall that wasn't set up to fortify the near post.  But I digress. 

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, Cheeta said:

That lineup would never start in a league test. 

I think.  They did draw Toronto the other night and surrendered a direct goal in stoppage time on a shot that didn't bend around a wall that wasn't set up to fortify the near post.  But I digress. 

Montreal has a goalkeeping issue no matter who plays. The rest of the squad is solid, if unspectacular. The lineup fielded this evening by Nancy was neither solid nor spectacular.

[RS]

8 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Neither their best keeper, defender, midfielder, or forward were in the 18.

Pantemis, Miller, Wanyama (or is it Mihailovic? Why not both?) and Quioto. That's a lot of talent left off the field, and besides Pantemis they are frankly players that Forge wouldn't be able to match. Not to mention other secondary players (like Choiniere) that were absent.

I realize Wanyama's injured and wouldn't have featured anyway, but the point stands. Montreal gambled, big time, against a battle-tested Forge side and very nearly paid for it.

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, RS said:

Pantemis, Miller, Wanyama (or is it Mihailovic? Why not both?) and Quioto. That's a lot of talent left off the field, and besides Pantemis they are frankly players that Forge wouldn't be able to match. Not to mention other secondary players (like Choiniere) that were absent.

I realize Wanyama's injured and wouldn't have featured anyway, but the point stands. Montreal gambled, big time, against a battle-tested Forge side and very nearly paid for it.

I wasn't even thinking of Miller, but of Camacho.

[RS]

2 minutes ago, jonovision said:

I wasn't even thinking of Miller, but of Camacho.

Add his name to the list.

[Cicero]

It’s clear Forge have more players who can up their game to match higher levels of competition. Halifax couldn’t do it for a full 90+ but Forge looked the better team for most of the game up to the end. What they do lack is a consistent finisher. Don’t understand why Pacius wasn’t given a chance. He doesn’t give you much else, but given an opportunity, he finishes at a pretty good rate. 
I also think both Samuels and Krutzen are better than Zavaleta. Maybe not ever going to be starting level MLS defenders, but definitely could be good backups.