TSS FC Rovers

TSS FC Rovers, commonly referred to as TSS Rovers, are a Canadian soccer team based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada that play in League1 British Columbia, the third tier of soccer in Canada. Established for the 2017 PDL season by general manager Will Cromack and head coach Colin Elmes, the Rovers are the under-23 team of the TSS Academy, one of the largest soccer schools in British Columbia's Lower Mainland.

History

Founding

TSS (Total Soccer Systems) Academy was founded in 1997, based in Richmond, British Columbia.

PDL and WPSL era

In late 2016, TSS purchased the rights to the Premier Development League franchise of the Washington Crossfire, and in the spring of 2017 fielded their first squad. The club has a supporters group called the "Swanguardians," alluding to the Rovers' new home, Swangard Stadium, which was previously the home stadium of the Vancouver Whitecaps before the Caps joined the MLS. The team has a stated policy of fostering Canadian talent, or players eligible for the Canadian men's national teams, stating every player must be "either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or refugee or immigrant with an intent to one day wear the Maple Leaf."

In 2018 the women's team was founded to play in the WPSL. Notable signings included Canada WNT players Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso. In 2018, the men's team signed its first non-Canadian, Dutchman Nick Soolsma, a former Toronto FC midfielder, as player-coach.

The club competed with the Victoria Highlanders for the Juan de Fuca Plate, awarded annually to the best PDL/USL League Two club in British Columbia. The Rovers won it in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, the club updated their logo to include a sword fern, a plant indigenous to coastal BC.

League1 BC era

On November 1, 2021, it was announced that the club would be playing in the inaugural season of League1 British Columbia. In addition, TSS decided to emulate those German clubs that were partly owned by their fans, giving the fans voting rights and a say in the direction of the team. Fans will own 49% of the team through this initiative. After finishing second in the league standings in their first season, the men's team went on to defeat Varsity FC on penalty kicks in the Championship Final, thereby qualifying for the national 2023 Canadian Championship.

TSS Rovers made their first appearance in the Canadian Championship on April 19, 2023, at Swangard Stadium, where they defeated Valour FC 3–1, becoming the first semi-pro team to knockout a professional team in Canadian Championship history. They were then defeated by another CPL club, Pacific FC, in the quarter-finals. TSS Rovers would finish the 2023 League1 BC season in second place before falling to the eventual playoff winners, Whitecaps FC Academy, in the semi-finals.

On April 19, 2024, it was announced that TSS Rovers would participate in the 2024 Canadian Championship to replace Victoria Highlanders FC, who had withdrawn from the competition. They were drawn against Pacific FC for the preliminary round, where they drew 1-1 in normal time, with Pacific scoring a game-tying goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, before being defeated 5-4 in penalty kicks. In 2024, the Rovers won the League1 BC regular season title, which qualified them for the 2025 Canadian Championship. On August 4, 2024, TSS Rovers defeated Altitude FC 3-2 in the League1 BC playoff championship, making them the first team in League1 history to complete the league double.

On April 4, 2025, TSS Rovers' mens and womens teams played in Evolution FC's inaugural matches. Both ended in a 2-2 draw. However, the women's match ended up being changed to a 3-0 win for TSS Rovers as Evolution FC brought on an illegal substitution in the 90th minute. On May 7, 2025, TSS Rovers played Valour FC in the Canadian Championship; a rematch of the 2023 matchup. TSS Rovers would fall 0-1 in a tightly contested match at Princess Auto Stadium.

Club culture

Supporters

The team is supported by The Swanguardians, a small group of supporters who stand at the south end of the pitch and support the team with banners, smoke displays, and original chants made primarily from Canadian songs. The group was formed in 2017 shortly after the founding of the team, and continues to support its former players in their college, professional, and national team careers on social media through their #AlwaysARover hashtag.

Rivalries

TSS Rovers participates in the Ironworkers Derby which is contested against Altitude FC. The derby is so named due to the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge which connects the North Shore, where Altitude FC's home field is located, to the rest of Greater Vancouver. The two teams met in the 2024 League 1 Playoff Championship, where TSS Rovers came out on top and completed the double.

Year-by-year

Men

Women

Notable former players

The following players have played at the professional or senior international level either before or after playing for the PDL/WPSL/L1BC team.

Men

* Mamadi Camara
* Gabriel Escobar
* Thomas Gardner
* Jordan Haynes
* Patrick Metcalfe
* Ivan Mejia
* Devin O'Hea
* Marcello Polisi
* Matteo Polisi
* Gurman Sangha
* Fugo Segawa
* Nick Soolsma
* Desmond Tachie
* Zach Verhoven
* Joel Waterman
* Anthony White
* Lowell Wright
* Kristian Yli-Hietanen

Women

* Jordyn Huitema
* Julia Grosso
* Mia Pante
* Emma Regan

Honours

Men

Major
* League1 BC Championship
:: Champions (1): 2022, 2024
* League1 BC Regular Season Winners
:: Champions (1): 2024
Minor
* Juan de Fuca Plate
:: Winners (2): 2018, 2019
:: Runners-up (1): 2017

Combined

* Juan de Fuca Plate
:: Runners-up (1): 2022, 2023, 2024

Notes

References

External links

*

{{British Columbia Sports

2017 establishments in British Columbia
Association football clubs established in 2017
USL League Two teams
Soccer clubs in British Columbia
Sports clubs and teams in Burnaby
United Soccer League teams based in Canada
League1 British Columbia clubs
Women's Premier Soccer League teams