Jo-Horus Toutou stays hot, Huskies men’s soccer team improves to 4-1
George Brown’s Sunday afternoon of soccer resulted in a 5-1 win for the Huskies men’s team.
For much of the first half, George Brown played a strong possession game against the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Eagles, displaying patience with the ball while installing themselves in UTM’s half.
Huskies forward Jo-Horus Toutou opened the game with a goal at the 4-minute mark. But the 1-0 lead for George Brown was erased when the Eagles took advantage of a defensive miscommunication. The chaotic scene in front of George Brown’s net gave UTM its first goal of the season and left Huskies goalkeeper Jordan Sodhi screaming.
The Eagles seemed to take heart from the 1-1 score at the half, initially turning the second half into a back-and-forth affair. That was until Huskies forward Shaquille Agard broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, taking a touch around UTM’s goalkeeper and walking the ball in the net.
From there, George Brown’s offence took over. Toutou again proved lethal, scoring again in the 68th minute, making it four goals in the last last two games. Toutou and Agard were joined on the scoresheet by midfielder Zuheib Mohamed, who scored his first brace of the season with goals in the 87th and 90th minute.
Sodhi ensured the team’s earlier miscue wouldn’t be his highlight, making a brilliant save off a penalty kick in the second half. The George Brown keeper’s account serves as a reminder for strikers to hide their shot.
“I knew he was going to go there by the way he lined up, and I just went with my gut and made the save,” said Sodhi.
The moment came as a relief for Mohamed, whose infraction in the box necessitated Sodhi’s save.
“It was a great feeling cause that penalty, I didn’t think it was a penalty but it was on me, so I’m glad that my keeper could bail me (out) of that one,” Mohamed said.
Dropping to an 0-4 record, UTM now faces a quick turnaround against undefeated Humber on Tuesday. According to Eagles assistant coach Giovanni McDonald, the solution to UTM’s woes is between the ears.
“We need to get stronger mentally, that’s all I could think about,” said McDonald. “The talent’s there. It’s not the talent, it’s not the system, it’s all the mental battle.”
Continuing work on the mental side isn’t reserved for the defeated. For Huskies head coach John Williams, his 4-1 squad has a clear area to work on between now and Thursday’s game against Niagara.
“I think for the guys, it’s more discipline, where we need to come out and play soccer for 90 minutes.”
