4th seeded Chattanooga Red Wolves SC travel to Statesboro to face the 3rd seeded Tormenta FC in the USL League One Championship match. Neither club has ever played for the USL1 Championship.
Match Info
Time: Sunday November 6, 2022, 7:30pm ET
Location: Tormenta Stadium, Statesboro, GA
Television: ESPN2
Tormenta FC
In their most successful season ever, South Georgia Tormenta FC barely missed out on the second seed and a first round bye. Nevertheless, they made quick work of their playoff opponents, with a decisive 2-1 victory over Charlotte Independence in the first round, and a solid 1-0 victory over Greenville Triumph in the semifinal.
Tormenta FC finished the season strong, and have not lost since September 7th in Richmond. They have been led by Englishman Kazaiah Sterling, with a league second best 15 goals, plus all three of the goals scored in their playoff games. Sterling is capable of receiving assists from multiple forwards and midfielders.
Red Wolves SC
The Red Wolves finished the regular season with a disappointing 2-0 loss at Tormenta FC, but turned around with a 1-0 extra time win over defending champions Union Omaha in the first round of the playoffs. From there, they went into Richmond and stunned the top seeded Kickers 1-0 in the semifinal, despite playing a man down from the 39th minute.
The club is prone to bouts of high scoring, with four or more goals on four separate occasions in the regular season, but so far have only needed one goal in each of their playoff games, both coming from Rafa Mentzingen. The club held the second ranked offense and defense in the league, behind Richmond in both categories.
The Red Wolves are led by Colombian Juan Galindrez, with 13 goals in 26 appearances, tied for 3rd in the league. They also have a dangerous secondary attack from Moe Espinoza and Rafa Mentzingen, with 8 and 6 goals respectively.
The club will be without forward David Texeria, serving a red card suspension from the semifinal match.
Head to Head Comparisons
July 9 at Statesboro: Tormenta FC 2, Red Wolves SC 1
August 20 at Chattanooga: Red Wolves SC 2, Tormenta FC 1
October 15 at Statesboro: Tormenta FC 2, Red Wolves SC 0
| Statistic | Red Wolves SC | Tormenta FC |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 12-11-7 | 12-9-9 |
| Points | 43 | 45 |
| GF | 53 | 44 |
| GA | 39 | 41 |
| GD | +14 | +3 |
| Goals Leader | Juan Galindrez (13) | Kazaiah Sterling (15) |
| Assists Leader | José Carrera-Garcia (8) | Adrian Billhardt (5) |
| Shooting Accuracy | 49.8% | 52.2%% |
| Conversion Rate | 17.9% | 15.8% |
| Home/Away Record | 5-7-3 (Away) | 4-5-6 (Home) |
Our Prediction
It’s been a magical run for both clubs, but there can be only one. Red Wolves SC pull another road upset and take this one in extra time, 2-1.