On Nov. 6, 2022, South Georgia Tormenta FC hosted the most-watched USL League One game on linear television in league history in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,045 at Tormenta Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
The end result was perfect; however, there were many factors and many people dedicated to the success of hosting a League One Final on ESPN2.
From Multiple Weeks of Planning to Executing Victory
Throughout the playoffs, league officials met with all participating teams to discuss the scenarios for hosting the playoffs, With the Richmond Kickers and Greenville Triumph being the most likely to host the League One Final due to results from the regular season, the idea of hosting a League One Final was something Tormenta FC prepared for but did not expect to happen.
Labeled the “road warriors” throughout the 2022 regular season for the team’s impressive record away from Statesboro, South Georgia would have been happy to head to Richmond to bring the first League One trophy home – similar to how the USL W League team did hundreds of miles away in Minnesota during the summer. However, as the playoffs progressed, so did the phone calls from USL HQ. What we dreamt of a couple of years ago, was starting to look more and more possible.
Despite entering the semifinals thinking Tormenta FC was unlikely to host, internal preparation by the Tormenta FC staff and league staff was completed just in case the League One Final would be held in Statesboro. With ticket links ready to go live, plans for concessions, an on-field stage for the team-winning celebrations, confetti machines, locations for the ESPN cameras set and more, Tormenta FC was ready for whatever scenario played out.
And the preparation paid off.
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC did it, earning the upset no one was expecting by defeating Richmond and stamping its name in the USL League One Final, for the first time in club history. That same day, South Georgia went on the road to take on Greenville. With the other semifinal result finished, Tormenta FC went into the second half knowing if it held its lead, Statesboro would be hosting the League One Final. The final whistle blew, and with it, the USL League One Final was set to be played in Statesboro – the smallest professional soccer market in the United States.
Once the semifinals finished, the work started. Calls were made on the four-hour ride back home, with every department and coaching staff member not able to sleep throughout the night. Press conferences needed to be arranged, the field needed to be in excellent condition, and most of all, the League One Final needed to be made into a spectacular event for the fans that have supported the team since 2016.
With a blink of an eye, the big day had arrived.
The staff had an early start to the day, as preparations began with the operations staff setting the stadium up, making sure all tables, chairs, tents and more were ready for the biggest event in Statesboro professional sports history. The ticketing staff soon followed, alongside the remainder of the staff, ready to get the game going. Finally, the ESPN broadcast crew arrived a few hours before the match and were ready to go quickly with their cameras.
From an operational standpoint, the execution was nearly flawless, with weeks of rehearsing, practicing time execution and timing the lineups to be synced to the exact second with the league and the ESPN broadcast crew.
A team of professionals, alongside USL leadership, pulled off the most-watched League One game in league history. It’s a record that will no doubt be broken in the years to come, but for now, Tormenta FC is proud to hold that title.
