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THE OFFICIAL HOME OF TMU Bold
THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE TMU Bold HOME OF THE TMU Bold
Two TMU players embrace to celebrate a goal scored.
Photo by Josh Kim
0
Waterloo WATERLOO ()
3
Winner Toronto Metropolitan TMU ()
Waterloo WATERLOO
()
0
Final
3
Toronto Metropolitan TMU
()
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Waterloo WATERLOO 0 0 0
Toronto Metropolitan TMU 2 1 3

Game Recap: Soccer (M) | | Ilyas Hussein

Bold early flurry against Warriors secures spot in OUA final and nationals

TORONTO - With a trip to Kamloops, B.C. for the 2022 U SPORTS men's soccer national championship on the line, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's soccer team secured a 3-0 win against the Waterloo Warriors on a foggy Wednesday night at Downsview Park.  

The Bold secured a berth at the U SPORTS men's soccer championship for only the second time in program history and the first since 2013. 

"It feels surreal," said Bold goalkeeper Ali Ghazanfari. "It's crazy that it's my last year here that we're going. It feels amazing." 

"We've talked about it all season and this has been our end goal," added Bold winger Justin Santos.

They also now have a chance to win the OUA Championship on Saturday against the McMaster Marauders at Downsview Park. 

Early into tonight's affair, the Bold started hot on the attack. Firstly, an acrobatic header from Tristan Marshall found the back of the net to give the Bold the lead. The Toronto native finished the set piece cross from Santos while his back was facing the ground.

"We have some real athletes in the box that can challenge for [the crosses]," said Santos. "Tristian got on the end of the first one, which gave us a good start to the game and helped us push through."
 
Less than three minutes later, Santos doubled the Bold lead with a strike of his own. The second-year winger blasted a shot past Warriors goalkeeper Simon Grande after a one-touch chip pass from Bold midfielder Juan Pablo Delgadillo that went over the heads of the Warriors' defenders.

"Juan and I have played together for a while. In the summer, we had a play exactly like that. So, as soon as it went back to him I knew exactly what was happening," said Santos.  

 
The Bold threatened for a third before the end of the first 45 minutes, but the score remained 2-0 heading into halftime.  

"The guys just came with the right amount of energy," said Bold head coach Filip Prostran. "Things are always easier when you score early." 

In the second half, Waterloo began to push the pace as they were looking to get on the board, however, Ghazanfari made numerous key saves to keep the TMU lead in store. 

"I just kept on telling myself to focus, don't let the [opposing] fans get in your head, don't get carried away, just focus on the ball and the next play," said Ghazanfari.
 
Near the 80th-minute mark, the fog-filled evening became too much of a distraction — causing the game to be paused for nearly 45 minutes. 

"It's weird. I've never experienced a situation like that," said Ghazanfari.

Nonetheless, when the match returned, the Bold kept pushing. In the 92nd minute, Santos found his second of the night — tripling the TMU lead and putting the nail in the coffin for the Warriors.
 


Shortly after, the final whistle was blown and the Bold punched their ticket to B.C. 

"[When I heard the final whistle] it felt absolutely amazing," said Santos. "As soon as that whistle blew, we knew we did enough."

"Just really happy for the guys," said Prostran. "It was a really special moment for the seniors who have been through the heartache in the final four in past years."

Although the celebrations have ensued, the job isn't finished yet for the Bold. They now look ahead to Saturday as they welcome the Marauders to Downsview Park for a right to be called OUA Champions. 

"Now, we focus on Saturday. We play that final, then we go to B.C. and see what happens," said Santos. 

"My mind is on Saturday," said Prostran. "I want that banner."
 
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