2020 Canadian Premier League final explained

2020 Canadian Premier League final
Event:2020 Canadian Premier League season
Team1:Forge FC
Team1score:2
Team2:HFX Wanderers FC
Team2score:0
Date:September 19, 2020
Stadium:Alumni Field
City:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Weather:Mostly cloudy
13°C
44% humidity[1]
Referee:Juan Márquez
Attendance:50
Previous:2019
Next:2021

The 2020 Canadian Premier League final determined the winner of the 2020 Canadian Premier League season. It was played on September 19, 2020, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, between Forge FC, the defending league champion, and HFX Wanderers FC. Those teams qualified as the winner and runner-up of the group stage of The Island Games tournament.[2]

The event was to be contested between the top-seeded team after the regular season and the winner of a one-game playoff,[3] but the season format was revised after being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forge FC won the match 2–0 to repeat as league champions, earning the club a berth in the 2021 CONCACAF League and the 2020 Canadian Championship final.[4] Forge ultimately reached the semifinals of the CONCACAF League to qualify for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League and faced Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship final where the club lost in a penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw.[5] [6]

Background

Forge FC entered the final as the defending league champions, having defeated Cavalry FC in the 2019 finals after finishing 2nd in the regular season. HFX Wanderers FC played in their first final, improving from a last-place finish in their inaugural season in 2019.

This was the seventh meeting all-time between the two clubs with each team having recorded one win and four draws against each other. Forge and HFX Wanderers faced off twice during the 2020 season with both matches ending in a 1–1 draw.[7]

Path to the final

See main article: 2020 Canadian Premier League season.

Group stage

Forge FCMatchesHFX Wanderers FC
OpponentResultOpponentResult
bgcolor=#FFFFBB 1–1 Match 1 bgcolor=#FFFFBB 1–1
bgcolor=#BBF3BB 2–0 Match 2 bgcolor=#BBF3BB 2–1
bgcolor=#BBF3BB 1–0 Match 3 bgcolor=#FFBBBB 0–5

Match details

Details

Forge FC
width=25!width=25
GK 1 Triston Henry
RB 4 Dominic Samuel
CB 14
CB 5 Daniel Krutzen
LB 6 Kwame Awuah
CM 24
CM 13 Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson
CM 10 Kyle Bekker (c)
RW 7
LW 2
CF 19
Substitutes:
GK 31 Baj Maan
FW 9 Marcel Zajac
FW 11 Chris Nanco
MF 15
FW 17
FW 20 Gabriel Balbinotti
DF 21
DF 22 Monti Mohsen
FW 23
Manager:
Bobby Smyrniotis
HFX Wanderers
width=25!width=25
GK 50 Christian Oxner
RB 6 Chrisnovic N'sa
CB 2 Peter Schaale
CB 3 Jems Geffrard
LB 14 Mateo Restrepo
CM 17 Aboubacar Sissoko
CM 18 Andre Rampersad (c)
RW 7 Alex Marshall
AM 22
LW 10
CF 11 Akeem Garcia
Substitutes:
GK 1 Jason Beaulieu
MF 5 Louis Béland-Goyette
MF 8
FW 9 Ibrahima Sanoh
DF 13 Daniel Kinumbe
MF 15 Scott Firth
DF 20 Jake Ruby
FW 23
DF 24 Alex De Carolis
Manager:
Stephen Hart
Man of the Match:[8]
Molham Babouli (Forge FC)
Assistant referees


Gabrielle Lemieux
Stefan Tanaka-Freundt
Fourth official


Myriam Marcotte

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Weather History for CYYG . . . September 19, 2020 . September 20, 2020.
  2. Web site: Molinaro. John. July 29, 2020. CPL's 2020 regular season to kick off on Aug. 13 with 'The Island Games' in P.E.I.. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200731104242/https://canpl.ca/video/cpls-2020-regular-season-to-kick-off-on-aug-13-with-the-island-games-in-p-e-i . 2020-07-31 . July 29, 2020. Canadian Premier League.
  3. Web site: Canadian Premier League releases 2020 schedule and format. Rhodes. Benedict. February 21, 2020. Waking the Red. live. February 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200226064402/https://www.wakingthered.com/2020/2/21/21147828/canadian-premier-league-releases-2020-schedule-and-format . 2020-02-26 .
  4. Web site: Molinaro . John . Forge FC beats HFX Wanderers FC in Island Games final to repeat as CPL champions . Canadian Premier League . 23 September 2020 . 19 September 2020.
  5. News: Recap: Forge FC advance to SF, qualify for Concacaf Champions League with resounding Leg 2 win vs. Santos . . forgefc.canpl.ca . November 2, 2021 . August 3, 2022.
  6. News: HIGHLIGHTS: Toronto FC top Forge FC in thrilling penalty shootout for 2020 Canadian Championship . Charlie . O'Connor-Clarke . . canpl.ca . June 4, 2022 . August 3, 2022.
  7. Web site: Molinaro . John . Forge FC vs. HFX Wanderers FC: North Star Shield on the line in Island Games finale . Canadian Premier League . 19 September 2020 . 18 September 2020.
  8. CPLsoccer . 1307768989397942274 . September 20, 2020 . As voted for by the fans, @ForgeFCHamilton's Mo Babouli is the last @GatoradeCanada Man of the Match . September 21, 2020.