STATESBORO, Ga. – After a delayed start due to weather, South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 and Knoxville One SC played a physical match tonight, with Tormenta FC 2 ultimately falling 2-3 at Erk Russell Park, despite a two-goal offensive effort.
Head Coach Tom Morris made numerous changes to his Starting XI tonight with goalkeeper Eric Cotton entering between the sticks for his Tormenta FC debut. Defenders Owen Marshall and Dominik Kurija and midfielders Sam Layton and Tristan Deloach all made their first starts of the 2022 USL League Two season as well.
Tormenta FC 2 started tonight’s opportunities with a free kick in the 6th minute which Mutaya Mwape stood over, but the shot went just wide to the right of the post. Mwape followed up with a shot on goal in the 10th minute from outside the 18-yard box, but the keeper just barely got control of the ball. TFC 2 continued pressing with another shot on goal in the 11th minute.
Thus far into the match, both teams were playing physically, trading opportunities and possession with neither defensive line wanting to give way to a goal. Tormenta FC’s JC Ngando and Mwape played impressively, tearing up the pitch and outplaying Knoxville opponents with their technicality. But Knoxville was settling into the match quite well and did not make things easy on the Tormenta FC 2 offense.
In the 35th minute, Cotton made a huge save off a dangerous Knoxville corner kick and kept the match tied 0-0 with his impressive effort.
Just three minutes into the second half, Ngando scored his second goal of the season to bring the score to 1-0. The ball bounced around off a corner kick and found its way to the French midfielder who drilled it into the net from the far side.
Knoxville then followed up with a goal in the 54th minute that tied up the match and sent Cotton flying.
Tormenta FC 2 kept fighting and the team’s efforts were not in vain as Tiago Lopes scored in the 73rd minute to break the tie and bring the score to a winning 2-1. The goal was assisted by Mwape who sent in a beautiful corner to Lopes who headed it in.
Knoxville then responded dominantly with two more goals off of successful corners that TFC 2 could not hold off, pulling ahead for a final score of 2-3.
Tonight’s Player of the Match, presented by Galactic Comics and Games, is Australian midfielder Sam Layton who was impressive in the midfield, playing well to connect TFC 2’s attackers and defensive line. Layton was also crucial to creating chances for Tormenta FC’s two goals tonight.
South Georgia’s pre-professional soccer team, Tormenta FC 2, has helped nearly 50 players achieve their professional dreams since 2015. TFC 2 finished its season as champion of the Deep South Division in 2018 before making a run to the League Two Semifinals for the first time in club history in 2019. In 2021, Tormenta FC 2 finished the season with a 12-4-1 overall record (10-3-1 in the regular season), qualifying for the League Two Playoffs for a third straight season.
UPCOMING:
Tormenta FC 2 will now turn around and host Peachtree City MOBA on Thursday, June 2 to close out its first home stretch of the 2022 League Two season.
