Match week 12 program with Massud Habibullah and several women's player celebrating a goal

Matchweek 12: July 21, 2024 @ Harbourside

CHAMPIONS!!

We have finally done it!  After two seasons of our men’s team finishing second we have finally won a League Championship, and we did so in the most convincing of fashions, beating Rivers FC in a 4-2 in an away match, played in harsh conditions with a team that was missing some key positional players.  It was a frenetic affair at times, and perhaps not the prettiest game we have ever played, but it was the most important.  We have won the league, we have secured our participation in the Canadian Championship and we have booked a home playoff date for the League trophy.  

And that wasn’t the only game to talk about. Our women’s team, already having secured the fourth and final playoff spot, took to a fiercely hot pitch under the blazing Kamloops sun and played a beautiful game, defeating Rivers FC 5-2.  The women’s team played our trademark silky, possession-based style, and manufactured some fantastic goals from five different players. We have watched this team grow tighter and tighter as the season has progressed, and Sunday was yet another rung on the ladder of quality. 

With one match to go on Vancouver Island, our teams are secure in their playoff positioning and we will visit Harbourside with a chance to finish our seasons positively and prepare for the playoffs.  

Full match reports, a preview of our Island opponents and playoff news are all in this week’s newsletter.

This week’s opponents

Harbourside FC
July 20, 2024
@ Harbourside FC
Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Field, Nanimo

  • Harbourside FC Women (1-7-2, 7th) v TSS Rovers FC Women (5-4-2, 4th), 1:00pm
  • Harbourside FC Men (4-4-2, 4th) v TSS Rovers FC Men (7-1-3, 1st), 3:30pm

Harbourside Women have struggled this season, posting only one win and holding down last place in the league, but they sit one point behind Rivers and will be looking to lift themselves into 6th and finish strongly.  Harbourside features former Canada U17 National Team player Jazmine Wilkenson.  Wilkenson shares the Harbourside goals lead with Erin Jensen each on 3.

The men’s team has done better this season, and are in the playoff hunt.  Fourth place in the league will come down to the last day of play and Harbourside need a win to keep their fate in their own hands.  If they do finish fourth, this match will be a preview of our semi-final, when we will host the fourth place team at home at Swangard.  It is likely that the Golden Boot winner this year will be Billy Bagiopolous who is currently sitting on 11 goals and has scored more than half of Harbourside’s markers this year. He’s an exciting player to watch, and scores everywhere he has played and at ever level. 

Last week’s recaps

July 14, 2024
Women’s Team
Rivers 2-5 Rovers
Full match replay 

With a play-off spot secured, there was no sign of TSS Rovers’ women’s side taking their foot off the pedal. After a congested weekend of football last week, changes were made for the trip to Kamloops. Head coach Kevin Booker is keen on squad rotation, and utilising players who had seen less action during the season proved no problem as his side defeated Rivers 5-2. 

TSS found themselves ahead 15 minutes in when Cara Freeman gave the ball away cheaply inside the Rivers half, the ball rolling into the Rivers box and into the path of Niah Kuehne, who curled in the opener from close range in what was the only goal of the first half. 

Jenna Baxter made it two for TSS moments after the restart, when another Rivers defensive giveaway allowed her to finish from inside the box, beating Rivers’ keeper Kelsey Fisher at her near post. Kate Ratee’s impressive header gave Rivers hope on the hour mark, but it was Baxter again in the 80th minute who sent her shot across Fisher to make it three for TSS. At the 90th minute mark, it would have been surprising to see three more goals, but the openness of play was evident due to the tired legs of both teams, with the Kamloops heat playing a factor. Cara Freeman finished cleverly following a mazy run from the halfway line to pull one back for Rivers four minutes into stoppage time. TSS responded with a beautiful Sofia Faremo strike from 25 yards. The game was finally put to bed when Hannah Martinelli beat Fisher from the angle to give TSS an impressive 5-2 victory. 

July 5, 2024
Men’s Team 
Rivers 2-4 Rovers
Full match replay

Despite making headlines in recent years with their infamous Canadian Championship performances, the 2024 season marked the first time TSS Rovers have been crowned regular season winners. Two long-distance road games to end the season began in Kamloops, the home of Rivers FC. In a game that was pushed back to avoid the hostile afternoon sun, TSS left Hillside Stadium 4-2 winners, enough to earn them that coveted league title. 

The evening started well for TSS with an unorthodox goal from Ali Zohar, who curled in a corner kick 10 minutes in. Rivers replied on 34’ when Elijah Dos Santos ran through the TSS midfield before laying off Ryan Lewis, who finished well from 25 yards, beating Connor Adams at his near post. Massud Habibullah restored TSS’s lead 10 minutes later when he powerfully dispatched a freekick into the far corner. Just a minute later, Rivers equalised in time for the break when Dos Santos got a goal of his own following some pinball in the TSS box.  

Four minutes into the second half, Dos Santos was in the action again, this time for the wrong reasons. Michael Hennessy’s low drive from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection off the defender and left Rivers keeper Rafael Vlaad rooted to his spot as the ball rolled past him. The goal was credited to Hennessy, and Dos Santos was relieved at escaping an own goal. Unfortunately, the own goal came three minutes later. Dos Santos poked a Habibullah cross into his own net in what turned out to be a night of mixed fortunes for the defender. Rivers remained in the game despite being two down and had a chance to create some momentum when they were awarded a penalty with six minutes to go. Josh Tome brought down Hagon Kim, who subsequently sent his penalty off the post, and TSS were able to clear. The referee soon blew for full-time, and TSS Rovers were officially crowned 2024 League1 BC regular season winners. With one game to go of regular season play, TSS possesses both the best offensive and defensive record in the division, a testament to the work of head coach Brendan Teeling and his players.

News shorts

Playoffs: The playoff spots for our teams are set. TSS Rovers Men will host the fourth place team at Swangard on Friday, July 26th at 7:30 pm.  Ticket information will be forthcoming.  

Our women’s team have locked up fourth spot meaning that they will be hosted by the Whitecaps over the weekend of July 26-28.  The date and time of that semi-final is yet to be determined.  We will send further details about ticketing and timing as soon as we have it.

Juan de Fuca Plate: With the Whitecaps winning both of their matches on the weekend, they have secured the Juan de Fuca Plate, the supporter-created League 1 BC Club Championship, for the second year in a row.  Powered by their women’s team, who will likely finish the season with an unbeaten record, the ‘Caps are deserved winners of the Plate.  To note, it took until week 11 for everyone else to be eliminated, with Rovers being the last team to possibly pip them to the Plate.  

Pro Rovers overseas: Many of our former players who are now playing pro are doings so in leagues in Northern Europe, including Patrick Metcalf (Fredrikstadt), Niko Papakyriakopolous (Gjellarsen) who are playing in Norway, Tanya Boychuk in Sweden at Vittsjö, Delana Friesen who is scoring goals for Treaty United in Ireland, Emma Regan at HB Køge in Denmark and Kaelen Hansen who plays at KuPs in Finland.  KuPs published a lovely profile on Kae, who moved there this year after tremendous success for Serbian powerhouse ZFK Spartak Subotica.  Read it in Finnish or put it through Google Translate!

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