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Scrosoppi head coach John Yacou is telling his side to be themselves as they prepare for their TELUS Canadian Championship match.

Scrosoppi have been one of the best Pro-Am soccer teams in the country in the past few seasons, and now they have a date with destiny in the TELUS Canadian Championship.

Their opponents are Atlético Ottawa, who have started the Canadian Premier League campaign unbeaten with three wins and a tie and sit top of the standings. Scrosoppi have also enjoyed a solid start to their campaign with maximum points from two matches.

Both clubs have connections to the professional game on the other side of the Atlantic. Atlético Ottawa are owned by European giants Atlético Madrid, while Scrosoppi own professional Portuguese team SC Vianense.

But their attention is currently much closer to home with the Canadian Championship presenting a huge opportunity for both teams.

“It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of us, and we are not taking that for granted,” said the club’s head coach John Yacou, who was the Men’s Premier Division Coach of the Year in 2024.

“It’s been an interesting preparation for us. You always want to focus on the upcoming season but everyone knows we have the big game coming up.

“We had been on the field almost every night of the week before the season opener against Simcoe County Rovers to try and get the boys as fit as they possibly can be for that game.

“We are also trying to keep the right mindset. Atlético Ottawa will be a difficult game for us, and we don’t want to have such high expectations, but also to approach the game to be ourselves and to go out and play.”

Scrosoppi started the 2025 season with a 1-0 win against rivals Simcoe County Rovers, who pipped Yacou’s side to the 2023 Men’s Premier title.

The clean sheet was a sign that Scrosoppi are continuing where they left off in League1 Ontario. They conceded just 30 goals in the 42 regular-season matches across 2023 and 2024 combined, and topped the standings in both campaigns.

“We take a lot of pride in not conceding goals; we had two of the top goalkeepers in the league last year and we’ve added another quality goalkeeper as well.

“Our back line, with losing a player like Ryan James [PROFILE LINK], is always going to be difficult to replace but the rest of the boys that we had from last year are still here and they are still committed to keeping clean sheets.”

Another testament to getting to the TELUS Canadian Championship is their prowess in attack: Tomasz Skublak and Jacob Carlos have returned to the squad this year after hoarding 22 goals between them in League1 Ontario last year.

“Tommy plays a massive role, not just going forward with the team but being that focal point. He brings great leadership to our squad and he makes all the other guys around him play one level better.

“We’ve got some boys that are eager to contribute and have a breakout season, and I’m hoping this is the opportunity that they needed.

“We have added one or two guys who I have high hopes for and expect to step up and be the difference makers.”

One new player in their ranks with recent Canadian Championship experience is Orlendis Benitez Hernandez, who starred for Simcoe in this competition against Toronto FC last year.

Simcoe head coach Doneil Henry, a three-time Canadian Championship winner, knows he could be a game-changer for Scrosoppi this season.

“He’s a player that we really respect here at the Rovers and he’s a player who has also been at the professional level,” said Henry.

“He has terrorized this league for many years and can change a game in an instant; free kick, set piece, or just finding the ball and getting it into the box with his beautiful left foot.

“They have a few attackers who are dangerous and can make a goal by themselves, like Skublak as well. They are a feisty group but also have a lot of experience; Josh Parades was one of my teammates growing up and he’s been an integral part of their team.

“They also have a really good coach in John Yacou.”

Since being founded in Milton five years ago, Scrosoppi have grown their impact in the community, and their Canadian Championship fixture is another opportunity to rally local fans for the rest of the season.

“If you’re looking for some highly competitive and exciting football, we’re not that far away so cheer us on,” added Yacou.

“Our guys are great in terms of sticking around after the game, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, and they always try to give back to the younger players.”