A professional soccer team from Statesboro, Georgia, won a national title in front of a sell-out crowd and broadcasted live on ESPN2 for the whole nation to see.
Sometimes, that sentence seems too far-fetched to be reality.
But, it happened, and it is one of the greatest accomplishments not only in Statesboro’s vast history but also United States soccer history as well.
Four years after its professional debut, South Georgia Tormenta FC finally obtained its first USL League One title under Head Coach Ian Cameron and his coaching staff. Finding the right players was just a part of the equation, while the unity shown throughout the ups and downs made this team more than a team. Rather, those moments throughout the year made them a family of dreamers who all accomplished something no other Tormenta FC team had done: going all the way.
The 2022 season started after the final whistle of the 2021 season. With no time to waste, recruiting the right players began. From bringing Joshua Phelps back, to signing his center back partner in Jake Dengler, to bringing Tormenta FC 2 talent into the mix with Gabriel Cabral and Chris Heckenberg, to breaking the market by signing former Tottenham Hotspur product Kazaiah Sterling, the team started to build chemistry. After making a decent run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the players and coaches started to believe in not only themselves but each other.
Despite some success in the national competition, in League One regular season play, the team was unable to win at home for the first couple of months. A lot of things had to come together for this team to go out and get the League One title. Late additions to the roster in Mukwelle Akale and Ryan Sierakowski added offensive experience, while a goalkeeper transition through the middle of the season was ultimately a decision that paid off. First-year goalkeeper TJ Bush was given the opportunity to start in an away game at Chattanooga, and despite a loss, Bush performed well and was trusted to be the starter for the rest of the season, only losing once when starting.
Regardless of the League One title, if the season finished in October, it would have been seen as a success in many of the minds of Tormenta Nation. Prior to the playoffs, South Georgia finished the season with a winning record for the first time in club history and with one of the best strikers and defensive center back pairings across the league. To add, Gabriel Cabral became the fourth captain in Tormenta FC history in his first year as a professional. When change was needed, the team adapted to whatever was needed from them, which ultimately led to the first-ever League One title.
From the first win at Tormenta Stadium, to the club’s first playoff win, to the club’s first League One Final. Many of these moments were done by learning on the way.
