CHARLESTON, Sc. – May 8, 2024 – In an intensely competitive matchup, South Georgia Tormenta FC narrowly fell to USL Championship side Charleston Battery during extra time with a 3-2 score in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The match against Charleston Battery represents the second time in history that South Georgia has made it to the Round of 32 in the U.S. Open Cup. The game lasted an unprecedented 120 minutes.
The match opened with each side vying to maintain possession with no major scoring opportunities arising until the 11th minute when South Georgia’s captain Conor Doyle attempted to find the first goal of the evening to no avail. After a series of long passes and defensive plays from South Georgia, Charleston found the opening goal in the 21st minute.
Undeterred by the first goal, keeper Drew Romig made a pair of back-to-back diving saves in the 33rd and 34th minute.
South Georgia found its first goal of the night when Ajmeer Spengler sent a through ball to Pedro Fonseca. Fonseca took the ball and blazed down the field to take on Charleston’s keeper one-on-one and sent a shot sailing into the center of the net. During stoppage time, Charleston sent a late shot into the net.
The second half was a waiting game for the next goal. Several substitutions were made by coach Cameron, as Gabriel Rodriguez, Mason Tunbridge, Daniel Steedman, and Joshua Ramos entered the pitch midway through the second half, with Niall Watson and Austin Wehner entering later into the second half.
Charleston Battery made several shots on goal in the second half, but these attempts were quickly thwarted by Romig, who aimed to keep Charleston’s lead minimal. Notably, Romig blocked a shot and a rebound attempt in the 82nd minute, keeping the score stagnant.
One minute later, Watson crossed a ball to Rodriguez, who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, sending the game into extra time.
From there, the match was rife with strong defensive acts from both sides as both teams fought to find the closing goal. Ultimately, Charleston Battery found the closing goal in the final minute of extra time.
Founded in 2015, Tormenta FC is a professional soccer club based in Statesboro, Georgia. Tormenta FC competes in the professional USL League One and the pre-professional 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.
Follow the club through Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and the Tormenta FC app available on both IOS and Android.
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For media inquiries, please contact Caroline Boykin cboykin@tormentafc.com or at 912-667-9422 or Noah Schroyer at nschroyer@tormentafc.com or 770-871-8654.
