Tormenta FC Returns Home To Face Lansing Ignite FC
Statesboro, GA- After a dominant midweek 4-1 win over Orlando City B, Tormenta returns home to face off with 3rd place Lansing Ignite FC. When the two teams met for the first time on May 25th, Lansing fought Tormenta to a disappointing 0-0 draw. Tormenta seemed caught off guard by the tactics that Lansing came at them with. Up to that point, Lansing was known for attacking and tiring out the other team by pressuring them. When the two teams met in Erk Russell Park, Lansing flipped their tactics and sat back. They let Tormenta wear themselves out and played the full 90 minutes with stealing a point in mind. Lansing celebrated the match like it was a win and Tormenta and their home fans left feeling like it was a loss.
The two teams come into this match sitting in second and third place in the league standings. Tormenta only sits 3 points ahead of Lansing but the third-place team has played three more matches than Tormenta. This match still carries a lot of weight for Tormenta and Lansing. Tormenta needs three points to stay on North Texas’ trail and Lansing needs three points to keep themselves in the top four. A loss for Lansing and a win for Chattanooga and Toronto would drop them into fifth place, sitting right outside of the playoffs.
This match is likely to be a rollercoaster for both sets of fans and one that is entertaining until the very last minute.
What To Watch For:
New Look Tormenta?: Ahead of the OCB match on Wednesday, I wrote about how it might be time for Tormenta to change things up, or to just return to their roots. Tormenta switched out of their typical 4-2-3-1 formation and it clearly worked. The team scored more goals than they have all season (4) and the offense clicked better than they have all season as well. With such a short turn around between matches, it would not be surprising to see Tormenta come back out in the 4-4-1-1 formation they used on Wednesday with the addition of Nil Vinyals back in the lineup who was serving a one-match suspension for his red card against North Texas.
Another Struggling Defense: Just like Orlando City B, Lansing has had their own defensive struggles over the course of the season. For the second match in a row, Tormenta will be facing a defense in the bottom two of the league. Lansing has conceded 29 goals through 19 matches. The struggles have gone back all the way to the end of June. LIFC has conceded 2+ goals in four of their last five matches. The offense has done their part scoring ten goals in those five matches but the defense has proven they have holes. If Tormenta comes into this match firing on all cylinders like they did against OCB, this match could easily get out of hand for LIFC. Tormenta’s defense will face a strong challenge with the firepower of Lansing but this newly designed Tormenta offense will surely give the opposition’s defense fits.
Nick Moon: The winger for Lansing has been one of the most impressive offensive forces for them all season. Moon leads the team in goals (4) and is second in chances created (21). When Moon is on the pitch the offense runs through him. The struggle for Tormenta will be based on where he lines up. Nick Moon has played on both wings, proving his versatility. Whether he is on the left-wing or right, he is someone that Tormenta will have to keep an eye on.
Match Facts:
Tormenta FC (8-3-5) v. Lansing Ignite FC (6-5-8)
Erk Russell Park, Statesboro, GA.
July 27th, 8:00 PM