STATESBORO, Ga. – Former South Georgia Tormenta FC midfielder, Emily Burke, has signed her first professional contract with Valadares Gaia FC of the Campeonato Nacional Feminino in Portugal. The USL W League champion joins the First Division Portuguese side following a breakthrough summer with Tormenta FC. Burke becomes the first Tormenta FC W League alum to sign a professional contract.
“I cannot thank the staff and my teammates at Tormenta FC for making this season a memorable experience. Tormenta FC and Statesboro have the kindest and most supportive fans in the league. The staff puts so much heart and energy into the club to make it a place of growth. Playing for Tormenta FC has helped me grow as a footballer and person. I am overjoyed that I got to be a part of the Tormenta family and I couldn’t ask for anything more in a club. The USL W league has played a major role in my path to pro. The pre-professional league has provided me with the opportunity to play with and against very high-level players.”
Emily Burke, Valadares Gaia FC Midfielder
With Tormenta FC, Burke registered 11 appearances in the regular season, tallying 737 minutes and scoring a goal in Tormenta FC’s 2-2 tie against Southern Soccer Academy. During the playoffs, Burke started and played in all three games. Burke was able to move the ball around and play quickly through possession. She was a strong 1-v-1 defender, who broke up the game and helped the team be one of the best defensive units in the nation.
A Georgia State alum, Burke played 38 games for the Panthers across all competitions. Prior to Georgia State, Burke attended Southeast High School, where she led the team to a 2017 National Cup XVI U-19 Women’s Division Championship.
“Emily possesses all the qualities to play at the professional level. She has great habits and an excellent training mentality. Emily is always willing to put in the extra work outside of training to develop her skill set and perfect her craft. Emily has quietly been a key player for us all summer in an area of the field that usually does not get much attention. It has been a pleasure to work with her. I look forward to watching her continued development at the professional level.”
Jim Robbins, Tormenta FC Head Coach
Burke heads overseas to join a competitive Valadares Gaia FC team, which aspires to compete against some of the best teams in Portugal. In 2016, Valadares Gaia FC was crowned winner of the Supertaça de Portugal de Futebol Feminino after defeating Futebol Benfica 1-0 in the final of the tournament.
Founded in 2015, Tormenta FC is a professional soccer club based in Statesboro, Georgia. Tormenta FC competes in the professional USL League One, the pre-professional USL League Two and the USL W League, under the United Soccer League (USL), and has also established a thriving academy system throughout South Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The club seeks to play an exciting brand of soccer featuring elite local, national and international players.
The USL W League is a pre-professional women’s soccer league set to kick off play in May 2022. It will serve as the nation’s premier pre-professional league developing the next generation of women’s soccer talent both on and off the field. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development.
