AGR's High Press: Ottawa and Halifax show the power of vibes | Forge has a new piece to watch in attack
Quietly, it’s now already June, and the CPL continued to push towards the start of summer with an intriguing eighth matchday of action this past weekend.
From a dramatic comeback from the leaders to a statement win from a contender, and a triumphant return home for a road-weary side, there was no shortage of storylines, either.
With that, some early season trends continued for several sides, too, which was reflected in this week’s Power Rankings.
Yet, that was the big theme of this week - trends and vibes. At a stage of the season where tactics can start to come to the forefront as sides get familiar with each other, that didn’t fully manifest itself this weekend, with most teams' results a fair reflection of how their campaigns have gone so far, for different reasons.
Here’s a look at how that manifested itself and what stood out in this week’s “High Press”.
The importance of vibes apparent in Ottawa and Halifax thriller:
There’s a lot that can go into a matchup. From individual battles to tactical set-ups, and more, there are often layers to what makes a match intriguing to watch.
Then, of course, there’s a dangerous zone that can sometimes manifest itself in the “vibes zone”, where all of that can go out of the window.
Atlético Ottawa and the Halifax Wanderers reached that zone in their matchup last weekend, as both sides combined for a 2-2 draw that saw Ottawa extend their undefeated streak to begin the CPL season to eight games, while the Wanderers are now without a win in seven games to start their campaign.
And it’s not so much the result that shows that both teams reached the “vibes zone”, either, but more how the game itself went, instead.
To begin, the match was strongly tilted in the Wanderers' favour, as they came out strongly, eager to pick up their first win of 2024 against the top team in the CPL. They looked sharp in possession in their 3-4-3 box, and aggressive in their defensive pressure in their 4-2-3-1, doing well to put Ottawa under pressure early.
The first-half stats paint a picture of how things went for Halifax, as they generated 1.1 xG on seven shots, keeping Ottawa to just 0.43 xG on eight shots, doing well to put Ottawa under pressure. Through that, they took a deserved lead through Riley Ferrazzo in the 21st minute, too.
Then, in the second half, they built off that, doubling their lead via Tiago Coimbra in the 75th minute, making it seem likely that they’d done enough to win the game.
GOAL ⚓️⚓️@HFXWanderersFC go up 2-0 over @AtletiOttawa as Tiago Coimbra taps in a counter-attack and celebrates 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/kMRo6aZ4Bf
Ollie Bassett managed to pull one back for Ottawa in the 84th minute, but despite that, Halifax had seemingly done enough to win… right?
GOAL 🏡@AtletiOttawa cut one back for 2-1 @HFXWanderersFC and we have got a game with less than 10 minutes left 👀
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
It's a first of the season for Ollie Bassett ✨
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/iJl6e3bwrl
There, however, is where Ottawa entered the “vibes zone”. Having struggled to push the pace offensively, they ramped up the tempo and put Halifax on the back foot, especially after Coimbra was sent off for a second yellow for time-wasting after he was already booked for taking his shirt off after his goal.
Through that, they made the possibility of an Ottawa comeback likely as they navigated through 10 minutes of added time. And they were able to capitalize on that pressure in the final minute of the game, as Alberto Zapater rose highest to a perfect Dani Morer cross to head home Ottawa’s equalizer.
And both teams’ respective reactions to that goal sum up where they sit in the “vibes zone” - Ottawa are filled to the brim with confidence right now, while the Wanderers are seemingly out of answers after another game in which they failed to win. 
Yet, it shows the value of confidence, on both ends of the ledger.
For Ottawa, they showed what you can do when the confidence is high, as they turned a lacklustre performance into a good draw, one they can use as a sign of their resiliency as a group. Good teams get points when they play well - great teams find a way to put up points even on days when they’re not at their best.
As for Halifax, it shows how a lack of confidence can sink a team. Despite an excellent performance, they never seemed comfortable in their ability to turn it into a win, seeming ready to sink at the sign of trouble.
Their red card is the perfect example of that. Undoubtedly a controversial call given that players are rarely given a second yellow for time-wasting (although that Coimbra was on a yellow for taking his shirt off after a goal is worth noting), the red card still late enough where it didn’t seem likely to play a big factor in the result, as all they had to do was sit back and grind out the game for 15 minutes.
RED CARD 🟥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
Tiago Coimbra is sent off for kicking the ball away and @HFXWanderersFC are down to 10 but still holding a 2-1 lead over @AtletiOttawa pic.twitter.com/vj7haJiMzn
But as soon as the Wanderers went down a player, it seemed like the belief started to disappear, and they started to rush things on the ball. Just look at the 99th minute out of the 100th, where they had the chance to take the ball to the corner flag and eat valuable seconds off the clock to win the game, but instead gave the ball away to set up Ottawa’s final attack.
GOAL 🏡🏡
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
ALBERTO ZAPATER LEVELS IN THE 101ST MINUTE 🤯@AtletiOttawa rescue a point in the last possible second vs. @HFXWanderersFC as this one ends 2-2 💥
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/Xk7hI1lq07
Yet, as said several times in this column over the last few weeks, it once again shows what the Wanderers need to overcome in order to get back on track - themselves.
At the same time, this performance can be seen as a sign they’re on the right track - they did draw the top team in the league with a strong performance away from home, after all. Of course, with how the game went, it’s hard to feel that way, but small improvements are important.
But if they don’t turn performances into wins very soon, it’s hard to think they’ll exit the negative side of the “vibes zone” anytime soon.
Kwasi Poku adding another layer to Forge attack:
Through seven games, there’s no doubt how good Forge’s attack has been, with the trio of Tristan Borges (now up to four goals and three assists in CPL play after this weekend), David Choinière (two goals) and Béni Badibanga (two goals) drawing plaudits for their play together.
But for as good as they’ve been, they’ve yet to gel with a consistent name up front, as Terran Campbell and Jordan Hamilton have battled injuries and are yet to produce a goal contribution in CPL play, and have hardly played, to boot.
Because of that, it was intriguing to see Kwasi Poku’s strong performance leading the line for Forge in their 3-0 win over York United this past weekend, as he had two assists in that win.
Continuing his recent run of games at the striker position after earning a shot at the position amid Campbell and Hamilton’s absence a few weeks back, which even saw him score in his first game as a striker against CF Montréal, he’s started to grow into the role since.
And this game may have been his best showing in that regard. Both assists were well-taken, even if they were helped out by two strong finishes from Borges and Daniel Parra, respectively, showing that Poku can be more than just someone who is asked to run in behind, as he was against Montréal.
That’s key, as it’s starting to put teams in an interesting position, as York saw in this game.
First, there’s Poku’s threat as a runner, which he showed on his first assist, which saw him sneak behind York’s back line with a great run, leading to him teeing up Borges. There, York was unable to match his speed, allowing him to stretch out their back line and create the goal.
GOAL 🔨🔨
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 1, 2024
IT'S BORGES, IT'S GORGEOUS! ⭐️
Tristan Borges doubles @ForgeFCHamilton's lead with a fantastic strike 💫
Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer 🔴 pic.twitter.com/u0AsDEgAoQ
Then, perhaps thinking of his speed, they sat back on him when he received the ball for his team’s second goal, which allowed him to find Parra in a nice position for his goal.
GOAL 🔨🔨🔨
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 1, 2024
It's three for @ForgeFCHamilton! Daniel Parra finishes off a great build-up from the Hammers to triple the lead 🟠
Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer 🔴 pic.twitter.com/KuHIADztEv
Yet that shows the potential of his combination of speed and technical skill, and why it can be an asset up front for Forge, in multiple ways.
A team filled with technical passers, there’s the fact that Forge can find him with balls over the top when he makes those runs, as they’ve proven over the last few weeks. 
Then, there’s the reality that his ability to stretch out back lines opens up space for the trio of Borges, Choinière and Badibanga to play in possession, as well as midfielders Alessandro Hojabrpour and Kyle Bekker, as was the case in this game. The more space for them, the better for Forge, and they showed that in this game.
And that Poku can combine with them in possession is almost a bonus, too.
Because of that, look for Poku to continue to grow into this new role going forward. It’ll be intriguing to see if Terran Campbell’s return from injury will push Poku elsewhere on the pitch, even if it feels like he’s earning the chance to earn a longer look up front.
Either way, Forge can’t lose in that scenario, as they’ll either be able to use Campbell as a super sub or use the versatile Poku elsewhere, a sign of their depth in the attack.
They’ve shown what that depth can do so far this season, seeing how prolific they’ve been offensively without getting much from the #9 position due to injuries, and Poku’s emergence in that position may have just given them another wrinkle to add to their game offensively.
There’s a reason why they sit tied with Vancouver for second with a game in hand on their West Coast foes, and they’ll want to build on a strong start, having only been slowed down by their Canadian Championship exploits.
With a month to focus only on CPL play, however, June could promise to be a fruitful month for Forge.
Jordi Swibel bringing value up front for Valour:
It’s no secret - Valour’s attack struggled in 2023, as they scored a league-low 25 goals in 28 games, with no one on their roster scoring more than four goals.
Because of that, it made Jordi Swibel’s brace in their 2-0 win over Vancouver one to remember, as it gave him four goals on the season already, in just eight appearances.
That’s been key for this Valour side, helping them grab a pair of wins and one draw in their last three games to get up to seven on the season after going their first five games without a win.
In particular, Swibel’s been impactful across that stretch, scoring three of his goals in those two wins, with the other coming in Valour’s season opener.
GOAL 🎖️@ValourFootball open the scoring vs. @VanFootballClub in our @tonybet_Canada MOTW as Jordi Swibel catches the defender and finishes his effort... eventually 😅
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/xqG6P9PsWT
Yet, he’s bringing the big thing Valour lacked in 2023 - a consistent threat in the attack. Relentless with his runs behind the defence, it puts pressure on defences, and he was able to break open Vancouver’s defence twice with his runs in this most recent game.
It may seem simple, but the stats back that up - Swibel’s completed just 73.6% of his passes and averages less than a dribble per game, but he’s averaging 2.4 touches in the box, 1.87 shots and 0.33 xG per game, showing his ability to get into dangerous areas, even if he’s not participating much in the build-up play.
And that’s what Valour needed in 2023, as they had creators, but didn’t always have players who could finish off those plays. Swibel’s early success shows what they missed in that regard.
Now, they’re reaping the rewards with this run, and they could still have growth to come as they tackle a stretch where 13 of their last 20 games will be played at home after starting the year on a seven-game road trip.
GOAL 🎖️🎖️@ValourFootball go up 2-0 vs. @VanFootballClub in our @tonybet_Canada MOTW after Miki Cantave whiffs on a shot to lead to a quick counter-attack for a chipped finish by Jordi Swibel
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 3, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/oDfTE2Jdd5
Plus, it feels like there’s more to come in this attack. Shaan Hundal is yet to find the net but his performance has been improving, while Abdul Binate keeps finding dangerous opportunities, with his finishing letting him down, so support could be coming.
But after it looked like one of those two would step up as the team’s main striker option, it’s been Swibel who has led the way, and Valour won’t mind if he does so, hoping that their other attackers will follow his lead and start to give them different names to rely upon offensively.
That will be the next step in their offensive evolution, but this is a good start, one they’ll look to build off, as the biggest thing they need for success is goals, having found a good rhythm defensively, conceding just two goals in their last three games. 
Who caught my eye? Riley Ferrazzo
Despite the Wanderers' late frustrations, Ferrazzo’s play is something they’ll be pleased with, as the hard-working midfielder scored a well-deserved goal and brought good energy to the Wanderers midfield in his 64 minutes on the pitch.
A versatile piece who can slot in anywhere across the midfield and seemingly the pitch, he’s stepped up his game offensively this year, scoring two goals (both against Ottawa) after not finding the net at all in 2024, and is someone the Wanderers might lean on more as they try and bust out of this slump.
His numbers from this game show how solid he was, too - he had two shots, completed 19/23 (83%) of his passes, made four passes into the final third, had one tackle and made two recoveries in a solid all-around showing.
GOAL ⚓️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 2, 2024
Riley Ferrazzo rounds out a beautiful bit of interplay to give @HFXWanderersFC a 1-0 lead over @AtletiOttawa 👀
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/pZfQXr9b3O
What to watch: Cavalry vs Forge
It’s hard to look anywhere else when these two teams meet, and this upcoming clash should be another big one between two longtime rivals.
Plus, there’s a lot at stake, too, especially for the hosts.
Of course, there’s the matter of revenge for the 2023 CPL Final and this year’s opening game, in which Cavalry blew 1-0 leads on both occasions in Hamilton, making them eager to claw back a win on home soil. You add that Cavalry has just one win and six draws in their first eight CPL games, and that’s another big motivating factor for them to want to win.
As for Forge, they’ll want to continue their recent dominance over Cavalry, having won three straight games against them, especially knowing that a Cavalry win might reset their season.
Yet, that’s the big thing to watch with this game - these sorts of big matchups tend to be big momentum-swinging matches for the side that wins it, making it intriguing to see if Cavalry can put their litany of draws behind them and win, or if Forge will keep up their solid start to the year.
