Simcoe County Rovers set for their day in the sun vs. TFC
The League1 Ontario champions face the biggest match in their short history in Wednesday's Canadian Championship tilt.
Founded in 2021, Simcoe County Rovers have come a long way in a very short period of time.
The semi-professional club was started by president Peter Raco and former Canadian international Julian de Guzman, and the duo quickly brought in several high-profile co-owners, including Doneil Henry, Atiba Hutchinson, Cyle Larin and Janine Beckie.
Simcoe County hit the ground running in its first season by reaching the semifinals of the League1 Ontario playoffs in 2022 before winning the league championship last year. Now, the team from Barrie, Ont., is set to make its Canadian Championship debut when it faces Toronto FC in a first-round match on Wednesday night.
This David and Goliath cup match at BMO Field is a far cry from Simcoe County playing their home games at J.C. Massie Field, a very modest facility on the grounds of Georgian College, in front of anywhere from a few hundred to over 1,000 fans. Fair to say that this is the biggest match in the club’s brief history, and a momentous occasion for its players, many of whom are from the Greater Toronto Area.
