It was a little more than a year ago that Enrique Mutsoli’s life changed dramatically. The Lyndhurst High School senior suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, putting an end to his COVID-19 filled nightmare.
“I really couldn’t wrap my head around it,” said Mutsoli, whose first name is pronounced EN-RICK, unlike the way most people of Hispanic descent say the name. “I didn’t think I tore my ACL, because I didn’t feel like I did. I went to three different doctors. I’m a stubborn human being by nature.”
Mutsoli, who was born in Kenya but moved to the United States when he was five years old, immediately called upon his devout Christian background to get him through the tough times.
“I initially asked God, ‘Why me?’” Mutsoli said. “I am the humblest and nicest kid that I know. I’m a young man of immense faith. I go to church regularly and I try my best to pray all the time. When this happened, I questioned my faith a little. I had several months of thinking and praying.”
While going through the rigorous therapy that comes with reconstructive knee surgery, Mutsoli had an epiphany.
“I finally understood why it had to be me, why it happened to me,” Mutsoli said. “I was praying one day and it came to me.”
Mutsoli didn’t question his faith any longer. Instead, he went right to work, making sure that his knee recovered and he could return to the soccer pitch.
“We believe that when he’s healthy, he’s one of the most talented players in the state,” said Lyndhurst’s first-year head coach Emad Abu Hakmeh. “We knew that when he was healthy, he was a great player. But with injured players, you have to be cautious.”
Abu Hakmeh said that there was even more concern to start the season, when Mutsoli suffered a slight concussion, putting his top scorer on the sidelines for a few games to start the comeback season.
“He was eager and wanted to play,” Abu Hakmeh said. “But his health was more important. I told him that he wasn’t playing until I received a letter of medical clearance. God forbid if he got hurt again and would have to miss the entire season. That couldn’t happen.”
Mutsoli had just gone through 10 months of treatment and physical therapy.
“It was very difficult, but with God’s help and my faith, I knew I would be back,” Mutsoli said.
Mutsoli did all the rehabilitation work with the good people at Carlstadt Orthopedics, but was still a little unsure about his future playing soccer.
“I didn’t know if I could come back,” Mutsoli said. “Once you sit out for so long, you really don’t know.”
In the second game of the season, Mutsoli had his answer. He scored an incredible six goals in a game against Ridgefield, beginning a scoring barrage that has not stopped since.
“I felt like I was better than ever,” Mutsoli said. “I was very surprised with what I was able to do. I really was worried that I might not ever come back, but I was better than I ever was.”
That’s an understatement, because Mutsoli scored 22 goals as a sophomore, had three net finders as a junior prior to the knee injury, but has totally exploded this season, leading the Golden Bears to 15 wins and a berth in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group II sectional quarterfinals.
Mutsoli has knocked home an astounding 39 goals this season and added 14 assists. His 39 goals puts him in a tie with Daniel Ciepiela of Linden for the lead in the New Jersey state scoring race. Mutsoli has scored at least one goal in every game he’s played this season.
Last week, Mutsoli had five goals against West Milford, two against Secaucus and two in a 2-1 win over Lodi that helped the Golden Bears advance to the sectional semifinals that were scheduled to be held Monday.
For his incredible efforts and his scoring barrage, Mutsoli has been selected as The Observer Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Incredibly, the scoring output came after Abu Hakmeh convinced Mutsoli to change positions, from midfield to the forward line.
“It took a while to convince him,” Abu Hakmeh said. “He’s a very special, very talented young man. He’s physically fit and can handle the change of position. I told him that it would be better for him to get outside and go wide after balls. Being in the middle, he was limited where he could go. But if he was on the outside and go wide after the ball, he’d have better chances. Enrique is a special talent who now has the room to stretch the field a little. He literally can score from 30, 40 yards out and he’s done it. He’s good from practically anywhere.”
Abu Hakmeh says that his brilliant striker has helped everyone on the team with the position change.
“He makes everyone better,” Abu Hakmeh said. “He can control the ball on the ground. He changes the pace of the attack and doesn’t give the opponent a chance to get good scoring chances. He also drops back and helps the defense. He really could play anywhere. Believe it or not, he could play goalkeeper. He’s that talented.”
Abu Hakmeh said that losing the important junior season to COVID-19 has hurt Mutsoli in the recruiting world. Mutsoli has not had a host of scholarship offers, but they will come. Being the leading scorer in soccer-friendly and soccer-talented state such as New Jersey will lead to scholarship packages.
“He’s aiming for a (NCAA) Division I scholarship,” Abu Hakmeh said. “He should not have a problem. His grades are fine (a 3.71 grade point average). I think he’ll be fine.”
As long as the Vikings keep winning. They were slated to face top-seeded Bernards, the No. 5 ranked team in the entire state, in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group II semifinals Monday at Bernards. A win there will open more eyes for the Kenyan-born super scorer.
“I’m more worried now about winning the state championship,” Mutsoli said. “I can always score goals elsewhere, but I want to win (the state title) now.”
The hard work in the gym rehabbing the knee has made Mutsoli a bigger and stronger player. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 185-pounds, it can only lead to greater things if some college takes a chance. He would like to go to Rutgers and continue his soccer career there, but the offer hasn’t come – yet. Mutsoli would love to major in criminal justice. A scholarship would take a lot of pressure off his parents, Samuel and Evelyn, both of whom are big soccer enthusiasts.
So the season continues for Mutsoli, a season that has opened some eyes. Being the state’s leading scorer will obviously help his cause.
“It’s been a great year, better than I could have ever dreamed of,” Mutsoli said.
He’s a goal away from 40, a magical number than most kids simply dream of. For Enrique Mutsoli, that dream has become a reality, even with a major bump in the road along the way.
CAPTION
Lyndhurst senior striker Enrique Mutsoli, the leading goal scorer in the state of New Jersey. Photo by Jim Hague
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Jim Hague | Observer Sports Writer
Sports Writer Jim Hague was with The Observer for 20+ years — and his name is one of the most recognizable in all of sports journalism. The St. Peter’s Prep and Marquette alum kicked off his journalism career post Marquette at the Daily Record, where he remained until 1985. Following shorts stints at two other newspapers, in September 1986, he joined the now-closed Hudson Dispatch, where he remained until 1991, when its doors were finally shut.
It was during his tenure at The Dispatch that Hague’s name and reputation as one of country’s hardest-working sports reporters grew. He won several New Jersey Press Association and North Jersey Press Club Awards in that timeframe.
In 1991, he became a columnist for The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers — and he remains with them to this day.
In addition to his work at The Observer and The Hudson Reporter, Hague is also an Associated Press stringer, where he covers Seton Hall University men’s basketball, New York Red Bulls soccer and occasionally, New Jersey Devils hockey.
He’s also doing work at The Morristown Daily Record, the very newspaper where his journalism career began.
During his career, he also worked for Dorf Feature Services, which provided material for the Star-Ledger. While there, he covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
Hague is also known for his announcing work — and he’s done PA work for Rutgers Newark and NJIT.
Hague is the author of the book “Braddock: The Rise of the Cinderella Man.”