Tormenta looks to get back on track against Chattanooga

My favorite Tormenta/Red Wolves game.

Hi and welcome back. Despite only having one USL1 game this week, it's been busy on the writing front. If you missed it, I had my monthly Power Rankings on Wednesday. I had a Tormenta W-League preview that ran in the Statesboro Herald yesterday even though their season started on Wednesday. (They ran it in the print edition, and as a weekly, it only prints on Thursdays so that's why it was a day late... the good news is the W-League team won 5-0 in their season opener. We'll have more on them next week.).

My recap of Saturday's matchup with Chattanooga will be posted on the Statesboro Herald website likely Sunday sometime. (I write it on Saturday nights, but often after the sports editor is asleep so it's posted on Sundays. I'll be sure to post a link on Twitter.)

I think that's all the housekeeping for now as we can turn our attention to a matchup of the second and third most handsome USL1 managers when the Red Wolves come to town for a regular season matchup. It's a rematch of the 2022 USL League One title game but the makeup of each club is very different from that matchup. For Tormenta, only one player from that team remains on the squad (Jake Dengler), while T.J. Bush and Jamil Roberts, two key players for Tormenta that year, now play for Chattanooga. 

That's all in the past and while it's fun to reminisce about the good times, we are people of action who look forward. Well, I mean, in this case, we're spectators as the players are the men of action and we just kind of watch and cheer and encourage them in their actions. But the point remains, there's a game this weekend and we should focus on that, so let's do that.

Tormenta comes in obviously disappointed in the results of their previous five matches. Following back-to-back wins over Lexington on April 6 and Miami FC on April 17, Tormenta has failed to get a win in their next five matches. Granted, those five games have been against some of the top competition across USL, with two losses to Greenville, a loss to Omaha and a draw against Charlotte and then a US Open Cup loss to USL-Championship side Charleston. But just because Tormenta was playing top sides doesn't make not winning any easier to take. Outside of the first Greenville game, Tormenta had opportunities to win each of the other four games.

"We could have won any of those three games (last week)," said Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron. "I thought we were dynamic against Omaha away and could have scored multiple goes, but you obviously can't concede as many as we did. We know that. Charleston Battery are running through the Championship and I thought we were excellent in that game and took it down to the wire. And then Greenville, in the first half was one of the better halves we've played and we dominated them," he said. "But we lost our way in the second half.

"I thought they deserved more than that out of the week but we have to respect the fact that we didn't. So we've got to come out this Saturday with that real feeling of being aggrieved. Of frustration. And that's going to present itself this coming Saturday and our performance at home against Chattanooga," he said.

Cameron said there may need to be some adjustments on the coaching side as to how they approach teaching and reminding the team of things that he might not have to do with a more experienced team. He cited the most recent Greenville game, for example, saying at halftime rather than making a few tweaks here and there, they may need to give guys reminders and have them think through what to the opponent may do to make their own adjustments. "What do you expect Greenville to come out (and do)? How are they going to respond? What are the highs and lows that are going to play out in the second half? And I think that's something the group has to learn." 

On Saturday that'll face a Chattanooga team that is winless in their last five matchups against Tormenta, dating back to 2022. 

The Red Wolves are led offensively by Ropapa Mensah and his four goals this season. Chattanooga has only played five games this season as they had two games postponed as work was being done on their field in their home stadium. They opened the season on March 15 and didn't play again until April 13.

"They're a talented group  individually," Cameron said. "They've got lots of very good ball handlers and they have an athletic striker who brings balance to that. Lots of technical proficiency at midfield and a front line that can stretch you."

While (understandably) not wanting to get into specifics, Cameron did say there are areas where he feels Tormenta should be able to attack the Red Wolves and create chances.

"There are areas where we think man for man, or system to system, we can cause them a lot of issues and put their back line and their goalie under pressure," he said. But we have to manage the technical proficiency in midfield and really combat."

Cameron said the lack of games played by Chattanooga could be a benefit to Tormenta on Saturday.

"They're still learning a bit about themselves," Cameron said. "We've played more games with our run in the Open Cup and a game or two more in the league. So we're a bit further along in our evolution and we hope that shows come Saturday."

Kickoff is set for 7:30 at Tormenta Stadium. Pay no attention to the rain in the forecast and come out and watch with me. (Actually, pay close attention to the forecast and dress appropriately. Please don't get sick sitting in the rain because I told you not to dress for the weather.)