If York loses to Pacific FC, Forge will face Montreal

The Canadian Premier League's grueling schedule takes no prisoners. However, after a 2-0 defeat to Pacific FC, York United manager Martin Nash was not about to use his side's brutal schedule as a way to avoid the final result.

“I know it was an eight-hour journey yesterday after playing on Wednesday night, but there are no excuses,” said the gaffer. “That's the way of the league, so guys have to get used to it.”

Nash's voice suggests that he is running out of patience.

The qualities of this victory, highlighted by the electric connections and impressive construction that defeated Vancouver FC, were not duplicated on Vancouver Island. Instead, the Nine Stripes let the Pacific make mistakes and tried to bounce back quickly. But it's the Tridents, with a four-match clean sheet in league play and up to 10 points in the campaign, who are not prone to gifts or falling behind.

James Merriman's men played some fantastic football out of the gate, a calm and composed structure taking their time on the ball while keeping an eye on potential opportunities.

Once the Pacific figure out where to play, they target that space until their opponents weave. Against York it was Josh Hurd, who was shut down by Kadin Martin-Peru early and often before Hurd found ways to get past the wing back. Meanwhile, Martin-Pere, a dynamic speedster, was unable to show his attacking qualities as Heard was firmly marked. All aspects of Pacific tactics are calculated.

Ali Ndom, a Pacific staple, was a revelation for Merriman and Co. Under pressure from Brian Wright and Dennis Salanovich, the Frenchman's composure was at an all-time high. Ndom is an aggressive defender; it has a presence but does not disrupt. When Wright was presented with a dangerous chance to equalise, Ndom chased him down and closed the gap between him and Wright, applying enough pressure for the York United striker to miss.

Perhaps Ndom wanted to show dominance as the two exchanged words during the altercation earlier in the day. Anyway, he had a good day. Ndom was pleased with his team's performance and surprised himself the quality of his English at the press conference. Back in the dressing room, his mood was matched by many of his teammates as the Pacific currently top the CPL table.

“I think there was a lot of laughter,” Ndom said. “We should enjoy today.”

Ndom effectively slipped into the formation alongside Thomas Meiller-Jiger. The tandem played well off each other, finding gaps to find Sean Young and Cedric Toussaint.

“It starts with the back line,” added Ndom. “We want to get the ball from the goal kick.”

“It's the work they're doing and the confidence they have in each other,” Merriman said of his quarterbacks. “They support each other, have each other's backs, and their relationship is getting stronger.”

Pacific's culture always seemed upbeat, even in the face of last season's losses. Conversely, on the long flight back to Toronto, it's hard to say that anyone in the United team could be happy with their move. York United were disjointed and disjointed across the pitch at the Starlight Stadium, combining little flashes in midfield that couldn't get more than a pass or two. The team had speed, but somehow lacked urgency as the pace dropped late.

The fluidity between Wright, Mo Babuli and Austin Ricci was praised in the win in Vancouver, but won't receive the same praise in this case. Ricci replaced Salanovic, and while it wasn't an inappropriate substitution, some sense of discipline was lost. There is a carousel at the top, which also affects the wings. Clement Baiiha could not escape and was trapped. Salanovic often lined up at center when he should have been on the left, which accounted for Martin-Perew's defense of Heard. And Babuli saw his share of the ball and went around.

York's key backs Juan Cordova and Orlando Botello were both unable to go for a run, which certainly hampered the side's performance. Still, there's enough talent to work with.

Nash didn't mince words when talking about his wingspan and overall game. “We did not move for each other and did not find solutions. We were very stagnant, we couldn't find exits, and then we had to run it for a long time. So I thought we were very disorganized in the first half… all the little things that we couldn't agree on (we didn't).

Rebound-seeking York United take on lowly Valor FC at the York Lions Stadium this Friday, aiming to recreate some of that magic at home one last time.

Forge will prepare for the CF Montreal test on Tuesday

Unfortunately, due to some Canadian football schedule, Forge's Canadian Championship game at home against Montreal is on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. The Hammers spent more than a year planning the logistics to host more than 10,000 children in Hamilton schools.

However, at the same time in the Voyageurs Cup quarter-finals, Forge had to change the school day game schedule, and the kids could now watch the MLS giants play their hometown club. Although the Barton Battalion and other 112th Division supporter groups are out of the picture, the boys are able to create some kind of atmosphere to promote the Forge.

More importantly, thousands of youngsters want to get a taste of the CPL and Canadian domestic football. An interesting tie awaits as Forge is on a winning streak and Montreal is on the other end of the success spectrum. Laurent Courtois and captain Samuel Piette said they wanted to stick with their current tactics in the 4-1 defeat in Nashville.

However, CFM are now three weeks without a win and they may need it if this slide continues.

Forge's relentless attack is especially difficult for a Montreal team that, according to Raheem Edwards, will struggle to come back from conceding a goal. Forge is a very different team to the one that was picked apart from Montreal at last year's Canadian Championships as Tristan Borges, Beni Badibanga and others are in top form.

You can wear cups on both legs. This version of Forge is designed to make noise.