STATESBORO, Ga. – South Georgia Tormenta FC Academy’s U16 MLS NEXT team qualified for the 2022 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs this past Sunday, May 22, advancing for the first time in club history. Closing out its first season of MLS NEXT, TFC Academy will now vie for the title of U16 MLS NEXT Cup champion, along with 32 of the best U16 teams across the country.
“Our Tormenta FC U16 boys have demonstrated all year that they have the necessary commitment, desire and talent to compete amongst the nation’s best teams. We are extremely proud of their accomplishment and look forward to seeing what they do at the MLS Cup in June. It’s a massive achievement for our program and a testament to the efforts here at the Tormenta Academy.”
Stefan King, Tormenta FC Academy Director of Coaching
With its 5-2 win over Hoover-Vestavia Soccer on May 21, Tormenta FC clinched a second-place spot in the 2022 MLS NEXT Southeast Division, also earning a bid to the MLS NEXT Cup.
Tormenta FC’s U16 MLS NEXT squad had an excellent showing this season, finishing second in their division with 30 points and a winning 9-1-3 record (W-L-D). The team closes out its inaugural MLS NEXT regular season on Saturday, June 4, against Queen City Mutiny.
“I believe the boys can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved over the last 9 months. We have worked really hard to have a winning mentality on this team, and I feel that has really been on display during the Spring.”
Jay Peake, U16 MLS NEXT Head Coach
“The boys have put in a lot of battling performances and showed great character and commitment in some very tight games,” Peake said. “Going to the MLS Cup is their reward for the dedication and work rate they have put in not only this season but over the last couple of years”
The 2022 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs will take place at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas, from June 25 to July 3, 2022. In a single-elimination competition, teams qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their play in the regular season or by winning their respective group at the inaugural MLS NEXT Flex.
Tormenta FC Academy also competed in MLS NEXT Flex last week in Boyds, Maryland, from Friday, May 13, through Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The U16 squad took on three teams and was victorious against Players Development Academy in a 2-1 win.
More information on the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs, including a schedule of matches, will be shared at a later date. For more information on MLS NEXT, please visit https://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/.
Committed to raising the level of soccer locally and across the country, Tormenta FC Academy has programs available from age two up to age 19 and is the only youth academy in South Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina with a path to the professional ranks. For more Academy news and content, follow Tormenta FC Academy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
