October 19, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Forge FC News Release
Forge FC Technical Director and Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis
(Forge FC)
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced Wednesday that Forge FC Technical Director and Head Coach Bobby Smyrniotis has been nominated for the 2022 Coach of the Year award honouring the coach voted most influential within his club by his peers. Smyrniotis is one of three nominees alongside Atlético Ottawa’s Carlos González and Pacific FC’s James Merriman.
This is the first year the CPL’s Coach of the Year will be voted in by his peers. The winner will be revealed at an in-person ceremony during the league’s 2022 Final Weekend. Coaches could not vote for themselves, and assistant coaches could not vote for their club’s head coach.
Smyrniotis, 43, earns his fourth Coach of the Year nomination in as many seasons. Forge maintained its reputation as a force in the CPL in 2022 with a revitalized roster, finishing second in the regular-season standings. The team’s 14 wins under Smyrniotis were tied for most by any team this season. Forge led the league with 47 goals and conceded just 25 times, surpassing the next highest goal differential in this CPL season by 15 in another exciting domestic league season.
Under the leadership of Bobby Smyrniotis, Forge FC became the first CPL club to compete in Concacaf Champions League taking on Liga MX giants Cruz Azul, and battled in the 2020 Canadian Championship Final, taking MLS side, Toronto FC to penalty kicks in an electrifying match at Tim Hortons Field, continuing to prove that the team is the full package under Smyrniotis.
This year, voting for all the CPL’s annual awards will be based on performances during the regular season, not including Canadian Championship, Concacaf or playoff action.
The winner of the Coach of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceptualized by artist Palaya Qiatsuq. The Owl statue symbolizes wisdom, guidance and knowledge, while its heightened vision gives it the ability to see what others cannot. The Coach of the Year requires similar attributes to earn the honour.
The in-person CPL awards ceremony will be held ahead of the league’s playoff championship match, to be played either Saturday, Oct. 29 or Sunday, Oct. 30 depending on the host city. The highest-seeded team remaining in the playoffs will earn the right to host the CPL Final.
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