6th seed Charlotte Independence visits 3rd seed South Georgia Tormenta FC on October 22, 2022 in a quarterfinal matchup.
South Georgia Tormenta FC
Tormenta FC finished the regular season just one point from overtaking Greenville Triumph for the second seed and first round bye. Despite Tormenta FC taking care of business and defeating Chattanooga 2-0 in their final match, the Triumph were able to clinch the second seed with their draw against the Richmond Kickers.
Tormenta FC brings a six match unbeaten streak into the playoffs, having not lost since a September 7th trip to Richmond. Since that 3-1 loss, they have gone 3-0-3, and outscored opponents 9-4.
The club saw a record crowd of 2,000 for their debut match at Optim Sports Medicine Field this month. They hope to carry this momentum into hosting the first round of the playoffs, as they struggled in their previous home at Erk Russell Park.
Tormenta FC are led by Englishman Kazaiah Sterling, who posted 13 goals in 23 appearances, good enough to be tied for 3rd in the league.
Charlotte Independence
In their inaugural USL League One season, Charlotte Independence squeaked into the playoffs over Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC thanks to their total wins (12 vs. 11). After conceding back to back losses to Chattanooga and Greenville, they were down to a must-win situation against lowly state rivals NCFC, in which they came out on top 5-1.
Charlotte is led by a dangerous scoring tandem of Jamaican Khori Bennett and Congolese Tresor Mbuyu, who each posted 11 goals. Bennett will be carrying a yellow card into the playoff match.
Head to Head Comparisons
| Statistic | Tormenta FC | Charlotte Independence |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 12-9-9 | 12-12-6 |
| Points | 45 | 42 |
| GF | 42 | 48 |
| GA | 40 | 48 |
| GD | +2 | 0 |
| Goals Leader | Kazaiah Sterling (13, t-3rd) | Tresor Mbuyu, Khori Bennett (11 each, t-6th) |
| Assists Leader | Adrian Billhardt (5, t-7th) | Miguel Ibarra (7, t-4th) |
| Shooting Accuracy | 53% | 47.1% |
| Conversion Rate | 15.6% | 18.5% |
| Home/Away Record | 4-5-6 (home) | 4-9-2 (away) |
Our Prediction
South Georgia Tormenta FC carries their momentum into the opening round of the playoffs and walks away with a 2-1 victory.