Match Week 11/12

This week’s opponents

Unity FC
Wednesday June 25

• TSS Rovers Women (5-4-1, 4th) v Unity FC Women (7-2-1, 3rd) @ Swangard at 6:00pm
• TSS Rovers Men (7-2-1, 2nd) v Unity FC Men (3-5-2, 7th) @ Swangard at 8:30pm

Two games in quick succession with implications for both the league standings and the Juan de Fuca Plate race. 

We return to Swangard for a home tussle against Unity FC. We will be on a week of rest but Unity will be coming off a game three days earlier against Altitude. In the women’s division Altitude were putting together a perfect season until Unity spoiled the fun with a 1-0 victory on a late goal from Charity Field last Wednesday night but Altitude got their revenge on Sunday though, defeating Unity 3-1 in the reverse fixture, which was only their second loss of the season. 

For the men. The story is a little different. Following a late victory in May against Kamloops on a goal by former Rover Naseeb Bains, Unity haven’t scored in their previous two, as of June 19. Altitude handed them a 5-0 on Wednesday and the reverse fixture was closer but..

Altitude FC
Sunday, June 29

These games will be streamed live on the League1BC YouTube channel 

• Altitude FC Women v TSS Rovers Women, @ Kinsman Field, North Vancouver 1:00pm
• Altitude FC Men v TSS Rovers Men, @ Kinsman Field, North Vancouver 3:30pm

This is the clash that Rovers supporters circle on the calendar every year: the first match of the Ironworkers Derby. This has developed into a fierce rivalry between our two clubs, both founding members of League 1 BC, both born from academies. The away trip to North Vancouver is one all Rovers supporters should take.

This year the women’s team at Altitude has been run by Jesse Symons, the UBC women’s coach who secured a national USPORTS championship this year. The Altitude women’s team consists of many of these players and had run the table until Unity nicked a 1-0 victory over them on June 18. This will be our toughest test yet for our Rovers. 

In the men’s division, Rovers last met Altitude in a mad-cap Cup Final last August when we traded penalties at the end of the game and came out on top as League 1 BC Cup playoff champions. The men’s division has tightened up of late and Altitude sit right on our heels, no doubt eager to spoil the party in our quest to repeat as champions. After beating Unity 5-0 midweek last week, they dropped two points on Sunday as Unity scored a late equalizer to do us a favour. This match has all the hallmarks of a classic in the making. 

Standings

Men’s division

After the chaos of last week’s action, our fate is back in our own hands: We are one point back oI I is is f Langley but hold a game in hand on every team around us. 

Women’s division

Despite a midweek blemish to their perfect record, Altitude regained their form and remain top of the table. Our Rovers women have a tough stretch of three matches against Unity and Altitude coming up.

Juan de Fuca Plate

Altitude have a commanding lead at the top of the table, and the home and home Ironworkers Derby matches next week will have major implications for the final result. 

News shorts

Fugo Segawa (2023) stopped by our last match on Wednesday to say goodbye. He is heading off on a trip around Europe and then home to Japan for a while. Fugo was instrumental in our 3-1 over Valour in the 2023 Canadian Championship. You can follow his journey on @fugoruns on Instagram.