The U18 Boys Ontario Indoor Cup Final was a thrilling showdown between Futsal Club Toronto and Toronto Cherry Beach Red Wolves, with FC Toronto emerging victorious in a closely contested 2-1 battle.
Right from kickoff, FC Toronto’s Louay Labidi wasted no time testing Cherry Beach’s defense, firing off two quick shots within the first minute—one sailing high and the other stopped by goalkeeper Jeffery Woodside. Cherry Beach’s first opportunity came in the 7th minute when Itan Mimani took a chance, but his shot went wide.
FC Toronto dominated possession early, with Labidi forcing another big save from Woodside in the 12th minute. Aayan Haq followed up with a series of attempts in the 16th minute, including a dangerous header, but Woodside stood strong in net.
Cherry Beach had their own moment in the 20th minute when Kojo Adams-Tran found Sebastian Totten, who struck from distance, but FC Toronto’s goalkeeper Sanjaykumar Thambipillai made an excellent save to deny the effort.
The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute when Haq put FC Toronto on the board with a stunning solo effort, firing a powerful shot from outside the box to make it 1-0. However, Cherry Beach responded immediately in the 23rd minute, as Mimani set up Gregory Evdoxiadis, who slotted the ball into the low corner to level the score at 1-1.
The match remained tense through the second half, with both teams pushing for the lead. In the 30th minute, Cherry Beach’s Abel Nigatu had a promising attempt, but Thambipillai made another crucial stop.
FC Toronto found the go-ahead goal in the 42nd minute when Labidi capitalized on a defensive lapse and slipped a shot past Woodside into the low corner, giving his team a 2-1 advantage.
Cherry Beach came inches away from forcing extra time in the 46th minute when Nigatu made a spectacular diving effort, but his shot deflected off the crossbar. Despite their late push, FC Toronto held on to claim the U18 Boys Ontario Indoor Cup title.
Highlights of the Match
The full match is available for viewing on the Ontario Soccer YouTube channel.
Championship Photo
Visit the Ontario Soccer Facebook page for the full photo album.
