Part 10 in our team-by-team preview where we try to answer these questions: how could they succeed, and how could they stumble?
South Georgia Tormenta FC
2022 was a year that made a lot of us fully embrace the chaos that is USL League One. While the Richmond Kickers had the top seed wrapped up, the next seven clubs were battling it out to the final regular season match to secure the other five playoff slots. When the dust settled, Tormenta FC secured the third seed, one point away from the 2nd seed, and only three points away from the sixth seed. It was also the first playoff berth for the club which was one of the founding members of the league.
Of course, we all know the rest of the story: a 2-1 victory over Charlotte Independence (Kazaiah Sterling 48′, 77′), a 1-0 victory over Greenville Triumph (Sterling 42′), and then a final victory over Chattanooga Red Wolves (Sterling 35′, Jamil Roberts 82′ with a Sterling assist).
The reigning champions made some shrewd moves in the off-season. Midfielder and late-season captain Gabrial Cabral went to The Miami FC for an undisclosed transfer fee. Defender Joshua Phelps went to Melbourne Knights FC for an undisclosed fee. Midfielder Adrian Billhardt and defender Curtis Thorne departed to the USL Championship in free agency.
But almost-Golden Boot winner and playoff monster Sterling returned on a multi-year contract, alongside fellow forwards Kingsford Adjei and Arthur Bosua, midfielder Tobias Otieno and rising defensive star Jake Dengler. Those notable joining the club include forward Pedro Fonseca (Real Monarchs), midfielders Elija Amo (Maryland Bobcats), Matheus Cassini (Forward Madison), and John Murphy (New York Red Bulls II), and defender Preston Kilwien (Charleston Battery).
Can they make another run in 2023?
How Tormenta FC could succeed in 2023
The league is theirs to defend, and they defend it
As many have mentioned, with only a few members of the core lost during the off-season, the league technically belongs to Tormenta FC until we see otherwise. This of course sets up a huge league-opening matchup between the defending champs and the much-hyped new-and-improved North Carolina FC.
There is no indication that Sterling and Adjei plan to slow down. At 24, they probably haven’t come close to their peak potential, and both could be playing for their respective shots at bigger opportunities next year.
And while Billhardt is a considerable loss to the midfield, the club should transition nicely with Matheus Cassini joining. The 27-year-old Brazilian put up similar numbers to Billhardt in Madison, and with a much worse club. If he expands on his talents and keeps his cool in Statesboro, this club will most certainly continue forward to defend its title.
And then there’s our Tormenta wild card, Elijah Amo, who put up 5 goals and 4 assists over 19 appearances with Maryland Bobcats in NISA. If he finds his way in USL League One, this could be an even stronger club heading into the playoffs.
How Tormenta FC could stumble in 2023
The post-title hangover is real
Sterling lived up to his hype in year one. What if the rest of the league has him figured out in year two?
It’s not likely that Sterling falls off in this league. But if he does, will Tormenta FC be able to recover?
Or let’s say, Sterling makes another run for the Golden Boot. But the rest of the squad falls off a bit. Can he carry the club on his own?
This is a league with a ridiculous amount of parity. Almost every club has a striker capable of 12 or more goals, defenses are sometimes neglected and surprises happen. Should Tormenta not live up to the hype they built in 2022, there’s a possible timeline in which they end up barely outside of the playoff bubble. After all, they were only one loss away from not making it last season.
But then again, this is Tormenta FC’s league to lose.
This is a well-coached, talented club. Well-supported by ownership and management. The darlings of South Georgia, and possibly the league. The smallest market independent pro team in the country. You can’t help but love them, and what they’ve built here doesn’t show any indication of slowing down in 2023. It’s theirs to lose.