Battle for the 912

Ian Cameron watches on at training Tuesday, April 2. If I'd waited five seconds,
I'd have had an exasperated Cameron throwing his arms up, but alas. 

Hello friends and welcome back to StormWatch912.... No, no, that's too much Jim Nantz at the Masters and that's not the vibe we're going for. Let's try again.

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend. Come inside. Come Inside.... Nope, went too far the other direction with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Sorry about that.

Let's just jump right in, ok? First off, sorry about the absence the past few days. I'll spare you the details, but let's say a sick five-year old is not conducive to having the energy to write a blog. Fortunately he's feeling better. But enough about him. It's U.S. Open Cup Match Day. Tormenta is taking on the Savannah Clovers as they make the short ride up Interstate 16 to Statesboro for Round Two as the two teams meet for the first time in their history.

Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron was quick to highlight the excitement such a match brings to the 912. "We want this rivalry between fan bases," he said Tuesday following Tormenta's training session. 

Cameron also pointed out the how this game is a symbol of the growth of professional soccer in the area.

"We want this community to think, 'wow, you know, six years ago to say that there would be two pro clubs in this south Georgia region competing for a game, people would have laughed at you. But I know the work of Darin and Netra (Van Tassell) and the greater ownership group have done here. I know the work we do with our academy and are ever, ever so proud of what Tormenta are doing in this region and  the Clovers are trying to do something similar which is great for the growth of the sport."

Cameron said the players are unlikely to feel any extra motivation with a matchup of two teams separated by 50 miles as the players aren't native to the area. However, the coaches and front office certainly see it as an opportunity to expose Tormenta to a local audience who may not have looked into the team before.

"I think we are the ones who feel a sense of responsibility to our fan base. We feel the sense of, I'd say opportunity, to present Tormenta in the greater community because there may be some fans of the Savannah Clovers that may come through or fans of soccer who may see this as a reason to come to Statesboro to see my first game. It's our opportunity to showcase what's going on here," Cameron said. 

Tormenta advanced to the second round following their 1-0 win over FC America CFL Spurts on the strength of a Nick Akoto goal five minutes into that match while the Clovers took care of USL Two club Brave SC by a 2-0 score with goals from Vlad Jokic and Roddy Green.

Reports surfaced late Monday night that the Clovers are having financial issues as they prepare for their second season in the National Independent Soccer Association and while they are expected to be at the game tonight, their season opener in Michigan this weekend is in doubt, according to reports. 

"For the players, it's a Cup competition. Survive and advance. They don't need any more than that," Cameron said of his team's motivation. "Whoever advances is likely to play a USL Championship team in the next round. That's what we're fighting for. A chance to play against a team in a bigger division and go and showcase ourselves."

Tormenta is one of 11 USL League One clubs who advanced to the second round with only Lexington falling in the opening round. I'm going to let you in behind the curtain and say that I wrote this on Tuesday night before the Open Cup games were final and had some work responsibilities early Wednesday morning and didn't get this updated before 8 a.m. when it's scheduled to post. Were there upsets last night? Who knows? Well, actually, any of you can know. Just go here. 

Kickoff for Tormenta and Savannah is set for 7 p.m. at Tormenta Stadium. Tormenta fans, please note that's 30 minutes earlier than their traditional start time for Tormenta games. If you can't make the game for whatever reason (no, my kid doesn't have a soccer game this time. In fact, several members of his team will be at the game cheering on Tormenta), but if you can't make it, you can stream the game here. 

Programming note: Wednesday's game story will be in the Statesboro Herald's print edition and online Thursday. The game story will likely be shorter than usual due to space limitations but that's a tradeoff I'm happy to make because no matter how many times it happens, it's always cool to see your name in print (as long as it's not the police blotter or obituaries). We'll be back here Friday with a preview of Tormenta's matchup with Lexington as well as a roundup of Tormenta and League One news.