Steve Milton: Forge FC outplays TFC but loses 2020 Canadian title in shootout

One of these nights.

But not this one, not Saturday night, when what coulda, and probably shoulda, did not happen. Again.

Deja vu, Canadian Soccer Championship version. Forge FC has the upper hand over 90 minutes but loses on penalty kicks.

It didn't go all the way to 11 men from the spot as did the October shootout loss at Tim Hortons Field to CF Montreal in the 2021 national semifinal, but it did go past the standard first five. The Forge lost the delayed 2020 national championship, and the Voyageurs Cup, to MLS side Toronto FC on the sixth kicks after the teams were tied 1-1 in regulation time.

It was tough the way it ended, and I think we deserved a little more," said Tristan Borges, who had Forge FC's goal just two minutes after Alejandro Pozuelo scored for the visitors in the second half. But I'm very proud of the guys."

As he should be. Although TFC had a little better possession time, the Forge had more threatening time. The two teams were dead even in duels won and Forge dominated the chances to score. Toronto goalkeeper Quentin Westberg was the difference, with several great saves in the first half, including one off a thundering Borges shot.

He also thwarted Terran Campbell on a clear breakaway in the second half and got huge help from the cross bar, once on Borges' penalty kick in the first half, the other on Kwasi Poku's penalty kick, the last one of the game. Four of the first five had scored for each team before Kosi Thompson, the lowest-paid player who took a penalty kick for TFC - which has a budget 20 times that of Forge FC - beat Hamilton goalkeeper Triston Henry on Toronto's sixth shot.

Never did I think I'd hit the cross bar on a PK," said Borges. It was hard but when I look around the team and see nothing's changed with our mentality you keep on going. I think we all knew we deserved a goal."

The largest portion of the 13,715 on hand - the largest paid audience in the Forge's four-year history because the debut game of 17,000-plus in 2019 came in on free tickets - thought they deserved more than just one goal. The atmosphere was electric, with two full sections of Toronto supporters going chant for chant, smoke bomb for smoke bomb, with Forge's famous Barton Street Battalion.

Somehow, they have to find a way to play more 416-905 Derbys because it's good for the game. It would be better for the game had one of the major sports networks decided to buy an over-the-air feed from streaming service OneSoccer, but that is a discussion for later.

The Forge got stalwart efforts from a large slate of players with 2019 Golden Boot winner Borges and David Choiniere absolutely owning the outside attack while they were in the game. Newcomer Rezart Rama of Greece was a calming influence on the back line which was without four potential starters and team leader Alex Achinioti-Jonsson, having to play central defender, helped neutralize the TFC attack.

We were the dominant team on the field. It was tough for the guys this evening, but if you perform like this every evening you win a lot of games," said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis said. That's the cruelty of this beautiful game. I think a lot of people in the stands walked away quite entertained. It's a great night for Canadian soccer, obviously not what Forge wanted but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. It was two teams out there who played their brand of football."

TFC, which is rebuilding around Pozuelo and incoming $15 million per year Italian Lorenzo Insigne, dressed all of its top players, other than Canadian international Jonathon Osorio, who is hurt. The central core of Jesus Jimenez, Pozuelo, Carlos Salcedo and Michael Bradley played all 90 minutes.

Coming here against Forge, it's always going to be hard. They're a good team, they're experienced," relieved TFC coach Bob Bradley said. That experience from those big games from Concacaf and Champions League shows."

TFC president Bill Manning said his team took the game very seriously. We have a good relationship with Forge FC, and with York (of the CPL). We pay attention to what they do and we have two CPL players (Lukas McNaughton and Kadin Chung). It's very good for soccer in the area."

Manning likened Forge FC to DC United of the MLS's early days; setting the level of success and commitment that other teams in the league have to emulate in order to compete.

To have such a new league and the team we have, and the atmosphere that's out there with the crowd we have," Borges said, it's something special."

It was a couple of crossbar inches away from being something really special.

One of these days," said Smyrniotis said.

Steve Milton is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: smilton@thespec.com