In a picture-perfect world, the hero in South Georgia Tormenta FC’s first-ever national title would be a South Georgia star, a player who shined in the Tormenta FC Academy system and excelled for one of the best programs in college soccer before returning to play for their local club.
Maybe the world is picture-perfect sometimes because that’s exactly what happened for the club during the summer of 2022.
On July 23, the pride of Rincon, Georgia, Sydney Martinez, left more than 6,000 Minnesota Aurora FC fans speechless with a jaw-dropping double save in extra time of the 2022 USL W League Final. Many do not believe in the domino effect; however, no one can argue that without Sydney Martinez’s heroic penalty save in the 110th minute of the spectacular match, the trophy may have not ended up in Statesboro, Georgia.
How It Happened:
As the second half of extra time commenced, both teams started to become more assertive, searching for the goal that would give them the lead. In the 110th minute of extra time, a penalty was called in favor of the home side after an Erin O’Hearn hand ball inside of the box. With only ten minutes remaining in the match, a goal for Aurora FC would have been detrimental to Tormenta FC. It was all on the Golden Glove winner’s shoulders to keep the hopes of bringing back the trophy alive.
Martinez received instructions from the referee to stop moving and to stay on the line. As she made herself bigger by waving her arms, jumping around and playing the mental game on the penalty kicker, the whistle blew. Already knowing where she wanted to go, which was discussed in the pre-match film session earlier that day, Martinez dove to the right side of the goal, and her hands met the Select soccer ball, denying it from crossing the goal line. A subsequent second attempt was blocked by O’Hearn, while a third and final attempt was denied by Martinez and sent out of play for a corner kick.
Local Legend
The hero from Rincon, Georgia, put her city on the map, and a decade-long project helped her prepare for moments like these. Just like Martinez, many more TFC Academy talents will rise through the ranks and follow in the footsteps of Martinez, Isabella and Helen Guttierrez and Lauren and Erin O’Hearn. The foundation is set for Tormenta FC to always be a contender in the W League, fueled by the local talents that are developing through the Tormenta FC Academy.