Selling your best player mid-way through the season is a bad idea. I think every fan on the West Coast is aware of this.
The way the players on the pitch reacted to what looked, at first, like a Jordan Brown goal says it all. Please…Let us have found a partial replacement. But no, it was not to be. An Achinioti-Jonsson own goal is as close to offensive competence as the Tridents would come.
I am not going to lie. When Hojabrpour scored early, the thought of a blowout entered the room. Forge plays PFC well. And by that, I mean dominates them historically. Of course, that is mitigated by PFC winning the single-most-important game between the two sides. Their only other victory against Forge was this year’s season opener (against a glorified B squad – Kolongo’s only minutes). So, in fairness, I guess the tide is shifting.
This game was far from a classic. But Forge did what they had to do. Get a point on the road. Campbell probably should have done better with his chance. (Full credit to Callum Irving on the stop). A crossbar from Poku could have been the difference maker. Henry needed to catch that ball, but the unfortunate positioning of AAJ threw them both off enough for something to come out of nothing. Jordan Hamilton has to come up with something, anything, that suggests he deserves to be where Pacius should be. Forge is still struggling to be Forge. And fans waiting for a turnaround match are still waiting. And the team has to look deep into that mirror. This game was against a team playing the worst footy in the league right now (Two points in their last five games now).
The wind is out of Pacific’s sails. They played some inspired footy in Concacaf earlier this year. But since then, it has been morose. (Yeah, I needed to dig deep into my mental thesaurus for a descriptor). Without their top scorer, and with Manny Aparicio playing enforcer instead of playmaker, it is a tough time to be purple. Another issue is Bustos. One goal this year. After countless seasons as the team’s poster boy, is it time to admit he is more BUST than OS? I know he has 6 assists, so he is hardly a bum, but he needs more than one goal to his name in the absence of a real offensive threat up top. Heard, Dos Santos and Dada-Luke can be exciting, but the team is in a rut of the front office’s making.
S. 2 Ep. 13 – The Final Is Set – FC13 Podcast
Ok, bright spots. Tristan Borges is comfortable as the team’s playmaker. His crosses are dangerous, and his ball that sent Poku to the races was lovely. Daniel Krutzen is the class of the league as a total package on the back line. He reads the game so well, is not afraid to get stuck in, but most importantly he can turn defending into offensive opportunities in the blink of an eye. (Hopefully his late game injury is not serious).
Both teams still have a game in hand. Forge is away to the Eddie’s before three straight in the Steel City to wrap up the season. PFC head across the country to face a spoiler minded HFX team who are still not dead, and after the Eddies, finish the season IN Hamilton and Cavalry, all while currently looking at the playoff picture from the outside.
Anything can happen in the CPL. But right now, PFC fans are hoping something can. Forge fans continue to believe Bobby will right the ship. Performances like this one don’t guarantee the day is coming soon.
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