Hamilton –
There is a new Canadian Premier League champion.
Pacific FC Victoria defeated defending champions Forge FC Hamilton 1-0 in the CPL final on Sunday for their first league title.
Alessandro Hojabrpour scored the only goal of the game in the 59th minute for the visitors on a cold late afternoon at Tim Hortons Field.
The goal came from a free kick taken near the corner flag. Gianni Dos Santos sent the free kick into the box, and Hojabrpour raced to the near post and steered the ball past goalkeeper Triston Henry in the top corner of the net.
The midfielder was an unlikely hero, having scored just twice in 26 appearances during the regular season. But his green light face turned out to make the difference.
Pacific nearly doubled their lead minutes later when Josh Heard’s shot from the edge of the penalty area ricocheted off the crossbar.
The breakthrough for the Victoria-based club came despite Forge seeing a lot more of the ball, especially in the first half. The home team had 73 percent possession in the opening 45 minutes and 70 percent overall.
But Forge couldn’t do much with the ball, managing only two shots on target – both from captain Kyle Bekker. Forge led 17-6 overall. The corner kicks were 10-2 in favor of Hamilton.
Pacific goaltender Callum Irving made the saves as needed to get a clean sheet of two saves. Henry conceded a goal on two shots.
Forge FC were forced to relinquish their grip on the North Star Shield – the trophy awarded to the winner of the CPL playoffs – after claiming the title in 2019 and 2020.
Pacific, who finished third in the regular season standings with a 13-9-6 record, reached the CPL final by beating Cavalry FC 2-1 in the semifinals.
Hamilton Forge knocked out York United FC 3-1 in the other semi-final. Forge topped the regular season standings with a 16-10-2 record.
The teams have met three times during the regular season, with Forge winning all three.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 5, 2021.
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