Three Forge FC Standouts Nominated for Players’ Player of the Year
October 24, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Forge FC News Release
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced Monday that Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson, Kyle Bekker, and Woobens Pacius have been nominated for this year’s inaugural Players’ Player of the Year award honouring the best player over the 2022 regular season, as voted on by opposing players in the CPL.Achinioti-Jönsson, Bekker, and Pacius are three of ten nominees alongside York United FC’s Mo Babouli, Pacific FC’s Manny Aparicio, and Alejandro Diaz, Atlético Ottawa’s Ollie Bassett and Ballou Tabla, Cavalry FC’s Ali Musse, and Valour FC’s Sean Rea.
The inclusion of this new honour as part of the CPL’s annual end of year awards was announced in Sept. 2022.
Achinioti-Jönsson, 26, was key to Forge FC conceding the fewest goals (25) of any CPL club during the regular season. Achinioti-Jönsson showed off his versatility transitioning from defensive midfielder to the heart of the backline thanks to his distribution skills, passing accuracy and aerial presence. He celebrated making his 100th appearance for Forge this season and led the league with 1,996 passes. His nine blocks, 29 interceptions, 49 clearances and 31 aerial duals won were the most by any Forge player during the regular season. Achinioti-Jönsson has also been nominated for Defender of the Year and Player of the Year for the 2022 CPL Season.
Bekker, 32, had his talents on full display for Forge FC tallying two goals and five assists, and commanding the midfield with his 1,366 passes, 17 interceptions, and 17 tackles during the regular season. The native of Oakville, Ontario became the first player in the CPL to reach 100 games for his club after four dedicated seasons (2019-2022) as captain for Forge FC. Bekker was included in the CPL’s Team of the Week on five occasions in 2022.
Pacius, 21, turned heads in his first full season with Forge FC. The native of Terrebonne, Quebec scored a team-leading 10 goals for Forge, finishing fourth among CPL goal scorers. His 39 shots were also a team-high. Pacius was named CPL Player of the Month for July, a month in which he scored six of his 10 goals and helped Forge to go unbeaten in five matches. Pacius was included in the CPL’s Team of the Week on three occasions in 2022, winning Player of the Week for Week 15 and has also been nominated for Best Canadian U-21 Player for the 2022 CPL Season.
Voting for all the CPL’s annual awards will this year be based on performances during the regular season, not including Canadian Championship, Concacaf or playoff action.
The winner of the Players’ Player of the Year award will be announced alongside the league’s other end-of-year award winners at an in-person CPL awards ceremony on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. ET in Ottawa, Ont. The ceremony will take place ahead of the league final between host Atlético Ottawa and visitors Forge FC on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. ET at TD Place. The awards ceremony will be broadcast in full by OneSoccer.
The winner of the Players’ Player of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, carved by artist Ruben Komangapik. The Muskox statue was chosen to honour the Players’ Player of the Year award winner because the animal earns the respect of his herd through his leadership and organization and gains recognition from his peers for his commanding presence in the heat of battle.
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