South Georgia Tormenta FC won a pair of games on the road last week and returned to Eagle Field Thursday night looking to snap an 0-3 start on its home turf.
Snake-bitten often in its first home matches, Tormenta couldn’t break through again for much of the game, only to strike in the 86th minute for a 1-0 win over Southern West Virginia King’s for the squad’s third consecutive victory.
Tormenta missed a golden opportunity over an hour into the match when Jad Arslan couldn’t connect on a penalty kick. But South Georgia continued to press the issue and — in the 86th minute — Trenton Whitely launched a cross from the right side that Jeremy Rector found in midair, easily flicking it into the top left corner of the goal for the game’s only strike.
“We had the momentum and wanted to make sure we finished it off,” Rector said. “We got possession and recycled the ball and I found some space to run into. Trent’s cross was perfect and I pretty much knew it was in when I hit it.”
“That was a world-class goal,” Tormenta coach Ben Freakley said. “We did everything right. We moved the ball well, got a great cross, and how great was it for Jeremy, a Georgia Southern player, to get that goal?”
The win not only secured three points for Tormenta in its third straight game — it was also the squad’s third consecutive shutout and its fourth in seven matches.
King’s Warriors played Tormenta tough in the first half, mixing some solid possessions with a handful of dangerous counterattacks. Alex Guerra stood in goal for Tormenta in his first start of the season and was up to the task, stopping a pair of point-blank scoring opportunities in the first half of action.
As the game wore on, Tormenta’s defense tightened and Southern West Virginia’s offensive threats became few and far between.
“We weren’t pressing high enough early on,” Freakley said. “We were content to let them possess the ball in their half and bring it up the field. I saw us do a better job of pressuring them (in the second half) and that led to more opportunities for us.”
Tormenta has had no trouble in getting fans out to Eagle Field and Thursday was no exception as another solid turnout finally got to celebrate a victory. The celebration actually started a few minutes early as Tormenta reserve players — not in uniform and sitting amongst fans behind King’s Warriors’ net — flooded onto the field to celebrate with Rector and company after the decisive strike.
In just a week, Tormenta has gone from an expansion team wallowing in the cellar of the South Atlantic Division right into the middle of the standings. Even more daunting for future opponents, Tormenta has played the fewest games of anyone in the division, allowing for them to accumulate more points as other teams stay on the sidelines during bye dates.
Add in the opportunistic offense and a defense that hasn’t conceded a goal in over 280 minutes of action and the Premier Development League’s newest franchises is starting to look like a big threat.
With all of the momuntum now squarely in its corner, Tormenta will try to bounce back on short rest. On Saturday night, South Georgia will welcom the West Virginia Chaos for a 7:30 kickoff. Following that game, Tormenta will return the long road trip, travelling to West Virginia for rematches against both sides.
South Georgia Tormenta
Tormenta FC Secures First Win
In its first four games in franchise history, Tormenta FC didn’t record a single goal.
To make things worse, a two-game road trip to North Carolina began on Thursday with a visit to the Charlotte Eagles — the No. 2-ranked team in the Premier Development League that has been nearly unbeatable for two years.
Naturally, Tormenta walked away with a 2-0 win.
“There was no 180 (turnaround) from the last game,” Tormenta coach Ben Freakley said. “We believed that we would win our last game. The fact that we lost didn’t mean that we weren’t confident that we’d win this one.
“We believed we could win. We played well, and we won.”
Despite coming away with just one draw in its first four matches, there was little doubt that Tormenta was crowing and improving with each game. After a pair of games that saw Tormenta fall 1-0 due to conceding late goals, they weren’t about to let history repeat itself.
In the eighth minute, Tormenta gained possession and rushed deep into Charlotte’s territory. Sam Lofts drove in a dangerous cross that was mishandled by the Eagles, leading to an own goal.
Tormenta held the lead into halftime and doubled its advantage in the early minutes of the second hand when Reed Norton and Jad Arslan combined to feed Lofts for another goal.
After seeming to be snakebit for a few games in terms of finding the net, Tormenta knew that goals would eventually come. The real test was keeping a talented Charlotte side from doing the same.
“We had everyone on the field defending,” Freakley said. “No matter if you’re scoring or not, you aren’t going to win if everyone doesn’t buy in to playing great defense. That’s what we saw tonight.”
With a win now under its belt, Tormenta now braces for a new challenge. For the first time this season, Tormenta will play two games in a week as the team travels to Greensboro, N.C. to take on Carolina Dynamo on Saturday.
Saturday’s game will also be unique in that it will be the first instance of Tormenta getting a second look at a division rival. In late May, the Dynamo ruined Tormenta’s inaugural home game by handing them a 3-0 defeat.
“This is a different team than the last time we played the Dynamo,” Freakley said. “We’ve improved. We started this road trip with the goal of getting six points. We’ve got three, and now we have more work to do.”
GA State Cup Brings the Masses to Statesboro
The only battle more fierce than the ones waged between teams during Saturday’s semifinal matchups of the Georgia State Cup was the one that raged between players and an unrelenting South Georgia summer day.
In all, 26 games were played at Georgia Southern’s Eagle Field and a six fields set up on the grounds of the Recreation Activities Center. The games featured boys and girls club teams ranging from U13 all the way up to the U19 level, setting the stage for 13 different teams to play for a state championship during today’s action.
“It was an exciting day and this is a great event,” Georgia Soccer Tournament Director Sharron Safiet said. “We had so much great competition. A lot of games went into overtime and penalty kicks. It made for a great show for all our fans.”
The tournament came to Statesboro for the first time last year and — following a successful weekend that brought approximately $1.5 million to town — the State Cup Final Four was glad to make a return visit.
The decision to come to Statesboro came as a surprise to some teams as nearly all Final Four participants originate from metro-Atlanta, but everyone seems to be coming around.
“At first, we had some people wondering why we were travelling so far to play,” North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA) Executive Director Dave Smith said. “I think everyone has come around. Everything around the tournament has been very well run. I know all of our players are having a great time.”
Safriet added that the condition of the fields was a constant positive talking point for players and parents alike.
Perhaps the best compliments of Statesboro and the tournament come from a pair of impartial observers that will see as many games as anyone this weekend. Brandon Joseph and Eric Quintana are behind the mic for a second season, calling the action for select tournament games that are steamed through the Georgia State Cup website.
“I have sisters who are 15 and 11 years old,” Joseph said. “I watch more than my fair share of youth soccer and this is, by far, the best run tournament I’ve come across. Everyone is helpful and organized and the quality of teams is great.”
“A lot of host towns are just looking for what a tournament can bring in,” Quintana said. “(Statesboro) is different. People from around town have been involved since we got here and it’s clear that they really care about making sure that everyone enjoys themselves.”
One of the day’s most exciting games also happened to feature the tournament’s only locally based team.
Storm Soccer Academy — which is now linked up with Statesboro’s new Tormenta FC Premier Development League franchise — had its U16 make it to the state semifinals against a NASA club.
Storm fell behind early, but Payne Van Tassell found the net to make it 1-1, but the joy was short-lived as NASA retook the lead just a minute later. In the second half, Van Tassell lofted a ball into the box and found the head of a diving James Brighton to draw even again.
Unfortunately for Storm, that was the end of the scoring. After playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation, NASA’s Langston Blackstock scored his second goal of the day with just minutes to play to knock Storm out of title contention.
Today’s championship games will kick off at 9 a.m. Girls’ divisions will decide titles for six age groups, with the boys adding seven more championship games to the schedule. All streamed games can be viewed at georgiastatecup.com
Mike Anthony may be reached at (912) 489-9408.
Possible Instate Rivalry in the Making?
Just a few months ago, minor league soccer wasn’t a thing that existed in Georgia.
Tonight, two brand new clubs will take to Eagle Field for some in-state bragging rights as Tormenta FC and Peachtree City MOBA square off.
“We need to get something going with this,” Tormenta owner and president Darin Van Tassell said during a Wednesday luncheon to promote Tormenta’s efforts to grow Statesboro’s soccer community. “I’ve left some messages with the governor’s office. Maybe we can set up a ‘Governor’s Cup’?”
Tormenta will take the field still looking for its first ever win. The club looked solid during a 0-0 draw in the first game in franchise history before dropping a 3-0 decision to Premier Development League powerhouse Carolina Dynamo in their May 21 home opener.
Peachtree City has its first win, but has also stumbled a bit, entering tonight’s game with a 1-4-0 mark.
Tormenta has mixed things up in its first two games, utilizing plenty of substitutions while also seeing how different players and different strategies work together.
“We have a lot of guys competing to earn a spot on the field,” Tormenta coach Ben Freakley said. “I think you’ll continue to see lots of players utilized since they’re earning their minutes.
“At the same time, we have some guys who are embracing our motto of ‘Pros Start Here’ based on the way they approach every training session. They’re making it very hard to justify taking them off the field.”
Players on the field could be up in the air, but one thing is for sure — anyone wanting a seat around the field will have to show up early.
Tormenta’s first home game brought out a crowd of 3,105 and earned recognition from the league for its ability to be so quickly embraced. And according to Van Tassell, that first game’s attendance could easily be left in the dust.
In addition to the allure of an in-state opponent that can easily bring its own fans, tonight’s game also coincides with the arrival of youth teams that will be competing in this weekend’s Georgia State Cup. The game will also serve as an opening ceremony for the youth tournament, with plenty of players and parents expected to add to the local crowd.
“We’re expecting around 4,000,” Van Tassell said. “Events like this tied into games will help attendance, but I really feel like we have something special working here.”
“You’re seeing something really come together,” Freakley said. “This weekend, there’s a chance to watch Tormenta soccer, followed by the best youth soccer in the state.”
With the unique makeup of soccer’s youth, collegiate and professional setups, some Tormenta players could be in for a busy weekend. In addition to suiting up for Tormenta, Jad Arslan and James Brighton also play for club teams that have qualified for this weekend’s tournament.
Freakley is also in a unique spot as — in addition to serving as Tormenta’s coach — he also heads up Storm Soccer Academy’s U16 boys team, which has qualified for the Georgia State Cup.
“I’m not going to add up the overtime,” Freakley said. “I don’t see it as work. I’m coaching pro soccer and I’m coaching a team full of great kids. I couldn’t ask for more.”
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Keeping up with Tormenta FC
Tormenta FC signs Drew Fellios as Play-by-Play Announcer and Eddie Rodriguez as Analyst/Color Commentator
With the birth of Tormenta FC, it is essential new voices are in place to capture the spirit of the game, educate fans on the new players and coaching staff, while describing all the thrilling moments with passion and energy.
Tormenta FC is proud to announce ESPN’s Drew Fellios has been hired as the primary play-by-play announcer and Eddie Rodriguez as Analyst/Color Commentator.
Fellios comes directly from the ESPN family of networks where he calls soccer, basketball, volleyball and football year round. He is also the voice of the ESPN Wide World of Sports, hosting numerous shows and competitions at Walt Disney World. For the past year locally, Drew along with the Multi-Media Development Center at Georgia Southern have had a major role in broadcasting Eagle sports regularly on ESPN 3.
Rodriguez utilizes his vast soccer playing and coaching experience to broadcast live play analysis in both Spanish and English for United Soccer League, Major League Soccer, NCAA college soccer and Florida State Championship High School soccer. Also develops and films sport-specific educational vignettes played during commercial breaks of high school sports broadcasts.
Welcome to the Tormenta FC family.
Storm of the South Weekly Radio
Make sure to tune in weekly to WVGS 91.9 The Buzz to catch the Storm of the South from 5:00 – 6:00 pm. A big thanks to Georgia Southern University’s radio show for having us on supporting the franchise on our journey. A member of our team will be on air every Thursday from 5 – 6:00 pm to talk about what is happening behind the scenes, what they do, answer questions, etc.