The Canadian Premier League kicks off its inaugural season this weekend, and for FC Cincinnati’s Emery Welshman, that means an opportunity to play for a new club close to his hometown.
Welshman is on loan with Forge FC, who play in Hamilton, Ontario. He’s from Mississauga, Ontario – a 30-minute drive.
“My expectation is to come here and do everything I can to help my team win, whether that’s scoring goals, assisting goals or just playing a role,” Welshman said. “I’m going to do everything I can to help this team win as long as I’m here and as long as I’m a member of Forge.”
Welshman was loaned to the Canadian side on March 8 after participating with FC Cincinnati to that point. During the preseason, he made only one appearance – he started on the wing against the Montreal Impact, but tweaked his hamstring and missed the rest of preseason.
Playing with the Orange and Blue in 2018, the forward made 26 appearances, including 14 starts. He scored four goals and provided four assists in USL play, in addition to his first professional hat trick in a U.S. Open Cup win against Detroit City FC.
Welshman also scored the game-winning goal against Belize that sent Guyana to the Concacaf Gold Cup, which starts in June. It’s Guyana’s first major international tournament.
About the Canadian Premier League
There are seven teams in the league, which has a 28-game schedule. The campaign is separated in a spring and fall tournament, similar to the Apertura and Clausura format in Central and South America.
For Welshman and Forge, they host York9 FC on Saturday at Tim Horton’s Field.
“I’m excited to play at home with some close friends of mine and some very talented players and some very young, talented Canadians,” he said.
