Match Thread: Voyageurs Cup - 1st Round - Forge v FC Laval - April 18, 2023

[narduch]

Game is at 7pm ET on One Soccer (alternate feed).

For the 2nd straight year Forge kick off their Cup campaign with a match against a PLSQ side (last year they defeated Mont-Royal Outremont 2-0 at home).

Forge kicked off their CPL campaign on Saturday with a 2-2 draw v Cavalry.

The PLSQ season has not started yet.

The winner of this match up will face HFX Wanderers or Atletico Ottawa in the Quarter Finals.

 

 

[narduch]

For those with Fubo the rerun of this game will be on Friday at noon ET.

[gator]

It is always exciting to play unfamiliar opponents and avoid a home field upset so this match will be interesting for me, unfortunately we are getting wet snow flurries in the Hamilton area and tonight will not be unlike the CPL inaugaral match with very cold west winds! Saturday I was cursing myself for not wearing shorts on a beautiful day, for tonight I am figuring out how many layers I will have to wear! 😀 

[Kingston]

Should be an easy win for Forge against a D3 opponent who hasn't even stated their season yet.

The weather is unfortunate as what was already probably going to be a small crowd will be even smaller.

[gator]

14 minutes ago, Kingston said:

Should be an easy win for Forge against a D3 opponent who hasn't even stated their season yet.

The weather is unfortunate as what was already probably going to be a small crowd will be even smaller.

Last season Forge huffed and puffed to a 2 nil win vs a team from the same league and although Laval haven't started their season Forge are only one match in, with very windy and possibly wet conditions tonight anything could happen in this match especially if Forge rotate the squad! I don't expect Bobby to not have the squad totally prepared for this opponent however and I hope it will be a comfortable win because it will be far from comfortable in the stands!

[narduch]

[Markoaleks]

Props in advance to those in attendance- I am pulling the chute tonight- cold as F tonight, with high winds and the Leafs game is tonight too-  GO FORGE

[narduch]

 

[SoccMan]

That open stadium is going to be a wind tunnel tonight if the winds don’t die down . However, Forge should pull this off, the trick to these games when a higher league team plays a lower league team is for the higher league team to score early . Often times if the higher league team scores early the possibility of a rout are greater . The longer the games stays close the more confident a team like Laval gets . But you have to love soccer here in North America as probably the only sport in North America that has a competition where a lower league team can play a higher level league team . You don’t get this in any of the other major sports in North America  unfortunately.

[jonovision]

As much as I'd like to see an upset in this match (more than any other 1st round matchup) I see Forge taking it fairly easily. 2-0.

[Cheeta]

This early in the season a team slipping on a banana peel, if there's any chance of that happening, is the most likely.  But I'd say that's more likely to happen to Montreal than Forge. 

Not really, but damn would that be funny.

 

[jonovision]

So on the goal. Not offside, but looked a foul by the Forge player on the Laval defender before the shot.

[narduch]

Forge won 3-0

[gator]

Forge took a bit to get into sync and the wind and rain was a hindrance for both teams, once the first goal was scored Laval were done, they did have a good chance to take the lead in the first half but shot over the bar! Despite the weather,  which was terrible in the first half, it was a fun night down at the stadium watching a V's Cup match, Jensen is certainly staking a claim for a starting position in the Forge midfield!

[gator]

 

[Pottsy3]

Was a cold night but really enjoyed the match. Laval was a solid team, if not for the two set pieces it could’ve been much closer.

 

Wandrille Lefevre still looks really good, I’m convinced he’d be a top CPL CB even now after a half decade away from the pro game. I know his accounting practice has taking priority, but I wonder if a hypothetical Quebec CPL team could convince him to play one last pro year. 
 

I was also impressed with #21, Rickson Aristilde seems to be the name. Looked dangerous, if only he could get some better service. Tough to find much on him, other than having attending Vanier College and being about 21 yo.

 

#44 who came on at the end looked like a literal child, I haven’t seen a player that small since the one guy on Dominica in 2015.

 

[red card]

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They're a dessert bar. One location in Hamilton.

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Edited April 19, 2023 by red card