Tristan Borges Has Scored Against Every CPL Club

During Forge FC’s midweek match against Halifax Wanderers, 20-year-old midfielder Tristan Borges scored an absolute contender for the Canadian Premier League goal of the season when he curled in a corner kick past opposition goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams.

The goal marked Borges’ seventh goal of the season, which did more than just cement his two-goal lead in the race for the golden boot: it also meant that Borges has scored against every Canadian Premier League club that has played against his Hamilton-based team.

Let’s take a look back at all of the magic that Borges has produced so far:

Borges vs Halifax Wanderers (July 17, 2019) – The Olimpico

Tristan’s most recent goal is perhaps his best one to date: after Forge FC earned a corner via a shot that cannoned off Jan-Michael Williams’ face, Borges walked over to take the corner. What followed was a stunning Olimpico, where the 20-year-old league sensation curled in an absolute beauty to double the hammer’s lead.

Borges vs Pacific FC (July 13, 2019) – The Brace

Borges scored his first brace against Pacific FC, where he gave his club the lead in the first half courtesy of a powerful, low-driven shot. Further goals from both sides kept things interesting as the second half wore on.

With ten minutes to go, some great buildup play from the Hamilton-based club gave Kadell Thomas space to dart into the box and send a quick cross into the feet of Borges, who finished with clinical efficiency. Blasco would score a second for Pacific FC minutes later, meaning Borges’ second goal of the game was the match-winner.

Borges vs Cavalry FC (May 12, 2019) – The Calm Finish

A quick through-ball from Emery Welshman – who may be outbound to Israel – allowed Borges to do a quick turn after cleverly darting away from Jonathan Wheeldon. From there, Borges coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net during what would become one of the league’s best rivalries.

Borges vs FC Edmonton (May 29, 2019) – The Penalty

Most players who win a golden boot are aided by taking spot kicks, and Borges is no exception: after being taken down by Eddies defender Kareem Moses, the 20-year-old Canadian took the penalty kick and converted it by sending the opposition goalkeeper the wrong way.

Borges vs Valour FC (May 16, 2019) – The Blast

With Valour FC trailing 1-0 at home and making a string of last-gasp clearances, Borges took matters into his own hands to double the Forge FC lead. Collecting the ball outside of the box, Borges took a touch to place himself and fired an absolute rocket into the back of the net with his left foot.

Borges vs York9 FC (May 25, 2019) – The Goal of the Month

The York9 FC league home opener would see local rivals Forge FC spoil the party (or what was left of it, after most of the fans were mistakenly told the game was being postponed due to poor weather). After going 0-1 up in the second half, a clever dummy from Chris Nanco allowed Borges to curl in an absolutely stunning shot that would go on to win the Canadian Premier League goal of the month for May 2019.

By sheer coincidence, Tristan’s milestone of scoring against every league opponent arrived on the same night that Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez officially scored against every single MLS club (including his own, thanks to an own goal). That being said, we’re sure Borges doesn’t mind not scoring against his own club.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has been one of the top performers of the young league so far, with many fans speculating that he could make the jump to the likes of Major League Soccer in the near future. After an academy career that saw him train overseas with the FC Heerenveen U-21s, Borges spent a season with Sigma FC prior to making the jump up to Forge FC for the inaugural Canadian Premier League season.

As one of the league’s youngest goalscorers, Borges has taken the opportunity to impress at the professional level with both hands (or feet, if you will). Canada’s only domestic professional league was established to give players like Borges a platform to do exactly that, and it’s great to see players like him taking advantage of the opportunity.