What a dramatic finish. What a dramatic match.
I haven’t watched much football in the last year, but wow. That was one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time. And who would have expected anything less?
It’s always a tactical battle and such an intense match when Forge host Cavalry, and their opener to the 2025 Canadian Premier League season was no different.
FORGE – 4-3-3
Forge FC defended in a 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, with Noah Jensen pushing into a position as a ’10’. In attack, they built out from the back with their usual back-three, pushing new left-wing-back Marko Jevremović high into the attack.
Marko Jevremović was everything Forge needed out of him, acting as an aggressor in defense with poise in possession and perfectly delivered crosses in the attack.
With the big Serb pushing high down the left, that then allowed the space for Mo Babouli to roam in the half-spaces to central channels.
Some of the Serb’s crosses were a bit too early and aimed long toward the back post for Choiniere, but he only needed one to be perfect. And well, we’ll get to that.
With that 3+2 base staying in-tact with their rest-defense, Noah Jensen could also have a bit of a free role in roaming around the centre of the park and getting on the ball to work his magic.
So as we saw for the goal, it was young Zayne Bruno pushing up for a rare moment, as Alessandro Hojabrpour dropped wide right to receive. Noah Jensen then helped to facilitate the wide right overload, giving Jevremović all the more space to receive wide left.
Just look at the space! And when you give a player of that quality space to deliver a cross, he’ll deliver. And as Hojabrpour then pushed up and Brian Wright garnered the rest of the attention, the physicality and clever movement of Mo Babouli was able to crash into the box free of his marker and head home the goal.
After Bruno’s brutal red card, Forge dropped into a 5-2-2 shape and defended for their life. From there, it was all about the physicality of players like Dan Nimick, and the man in goal – Jassem Koleilat.
This is my first match watching Jassem Koleilat and I could not have been more impressed. I’ve hardly seen a better save than what he pulled off on Tobias Warschewski in the first half.
From there, he commanded his box incredibly well, punching and parrying everything away.
With someone like the Czech in goal, Forge will be so difficult to break down this season. You could argue they have the two best centre-backs in the league in Dan Nimick and Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson. You could argue they have the two best central midfielders in the league in Alessandro Hojabrpour (how is he still in the CANPL?) and Kyle Bekker. Hojabrpour’s defensive awareness was superb on the day, forcing Tobias Warschewski into wide areas to get away from him and Nimick.
With that kind of spine to the team, this Forge team will have all the space they need to get acclimatized to the new season and continue to hit the ground running.
Even in dire states. Even with ten men. Forge had the experience to survive the scramble and come out with that narrow win.
CAVALRY – 4-2-3-1
Cavalry also set up in their favoured 4-2-3-1, which also tends to take form with a back-three in possession. Kamdem played higher and wider (possibly as a response to Forge’s almost 4-4-2 pressing shape) at the very back end of the pitch than he normally might, but you could see that 3+2 forming when the Cavs progressed to the middle third.
Carducci then remained more key in possession low on the pitch, with Fraser Aird pushing high and wide. On the one occasion that Jevremović stepped far out of place, Aird nearly punished him with his fast thinking movement up the pitch and peach of a cross to Warschewski. Again, what a save.
As the match wore on and Warschewski + Camargo kept on having to come wide to create overloads and engage, Cavalry continued to throw on attacking weapons to try and take advantage of Forge’s red card.
Enter Nicolas Wähling, who threatened from the moment he set foot on the pitch. The German produced ten times the chances of Jay Herdman before him, backed up by the sickly left-foot of Mihail Gherasimencov careening down the same side in place of the more defensive Bradley Kamdem.
Wähling will have to start next match, regardless of whether or not it was just a case of having more time and space with that Forge red card. He was superb in trying to get Cavalry out with something, and unfortunately for them, Jassem Koleilat was just too good at the other end of the pitch.
3 STARS OF THE MATCH
All the kudos for the victory have to head Jassem Koleilat‘s way, after he posted up six saves and nine recoveries. Those saves weren’t easy, and he responded so well after every single one, never letting it get to his head.
Marko Jevremović also deserves immense credit for facilitating that left-wing-back role exactly in the way that Smyrniotis intended. Not only was he dangerous in the attack and completely capable with his crosses into the box, but he calmed Ali Musse and completely shut him out. It was a tactical error from him that nearly led to an opener from the Cavs, but he certainly made up for that with his assist on the only goal of the day.
Jevremović wasn’t the only solid force in the Forge defense. Dan Nimick also had a great debut, completing all of his long passes in typical Dan Nimick fashion. The 24-year-old centre back is fantastic on the ball, great at switching the field from right to left, and so solid in blocking shots and putting his body on the line. But while Tobias Warschewski found space to get off a few shots, he struggled with all of his moments of link-up and hold-up due to Nimick’s pressure on his back. The signing of Nimick should prove to be one of the signings of the season, and it showed right away in the first match.
So with that, there is much to look forward to from Forge this season. Cavalry on the other hand will need to continue to find their rhythm and get back to their best as the likes of Eryk Kobza can hopefully re-enter the fold soon. Thanks for reading and see you soon!
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