South Georgia Tormenta FC logged its first win of the season Thursday, taking down Nashville SC by a count of 2-0 at the Erk Russell Athletic Complex.
Tormenta had played well enough to notch wins in most of its first four matches, but entered Thursday with an 0-2-2 mark. Nashville SC led the Southeast Division with a 5-0-1 record and had defeated Tormenta in Tennessee two weeks ago, but South Georgia showed its potential in handing Nashville its first loss of the season.
“I was proud of our guys,” Tormenta coach John Miglarese said. “We showed a lot of effort. We were playing a very good team and faced some adversity where we hit the post a few times on plays where we could have scored. We kept fighting and we beat a really good team.”
Tormenta set a brisk pace early and seemed determined not to have a repeat of its first game against Nashville – where a pair of South Georgia leads were ultimately erased. In the 10th minute of action, Jad Arslan placed a perfect pass in to Jamie Merriam, who finished with one touch to give Tormenta a 1-0 lead.
South Georgia continued to press the issue. Nashville had scored 19 goals in its first six games – including four in its earlier win against Tormenta – but found itself in for a long night. A talented Nashville midfield could never solve the Tormenta defensive setup and was also limited in the chances it earned off of set pieces.
Tormenta had scored early on two other occasions – including the first game against Nashville – without earning the win, but was determined to capitalize on its latest advantage. South Georgia continued to press the issue on offense and had near misses on several occasions before striking gold again.
In the 38th minute, Tormenta earned a free kick deep in Nashville’s zone. The initial kick sailed a bit high and cleared the main line looking to redirect into the goal. But Leland Archer corralled the ball and chipped it back across the face of the goal, finding an open Nick Wells who finished cleanly for a 2-0 Tormenta lead.
In the second half, the Southeast Division’s top goal-scoring team tried to impose its will, but Tormenta was determined to put its first notch in the win column. Solid defense prevented any sort of rhythm for Nashville’s attack and Tormenta’s midfield and forwards kept the foot pressed far enough on the gas to threaten to widen the lead and keep Nashville’s back line honest.
“I was a little worried,” Miglarese said. “We only had one game in about two weeks. You could either come out cold or be too anxious. I thought we played great.
“We got the lead early and added another. It would have been great to add a third, but we played well on the defensive and and – in the second half – used our offense and possession as a part of our defense.”
Tormenta now faces an odd turnaround.
Soccer teams are sometimes forced to play two games in three days, but Tormenta has the added quirk of suiting up on Saturday night to face the exact same Nashville SC squad. And despite Thursday’s success, Nashville is still the division leader, with Tormenta still in the role of a team that needs to rack up points to stay in postseason contention.
“It will be tricky,” Miglarese said. “You don’t want to upset the apple cart and go away from what worked well. At the same time, it could get cagey. You never know what little changes a team can make from one game to the next.”
Tormenta gets back in the win column after toppling Nashville
