We're halfway there

Photo Credit: Tormenta FC
Manager Ian Cameron offers instruction during
this past Saturday's match at Central Valley.

I need be honest with you all, I've got to get back in to League One mode. Just based on the schedule with Tormenta's League One team being away so much in June and the W-League season having such a compressed schedule with so many games in June, I've being paying closer attention to their season. The sheer quantity of games combined with a tight playoff race had my focus and energy. Unfortunately, their season is over. But we're slightly past the halfway point for the League One Schedule, as Tormenta has played 11 of 22 regular season games and five of eight Jagermeister Cup games. 

Suffice it to say, Tormenta is not where they want to be at this point in the season. Through those 11 games, they've garnered 12 points, which is good enough for sixth place in the league, but Northern Colorado (7 games played) and Spokane (8 games played) both have 11 points.  John Morrissey at USLTactics has Tormenta at 48% to make the playoffs, fighting with Chattanooga for the final playoff spot. 

The goal for South Georgia is not to sneak into the playoffs. Manager Ian Cameron has said from the beginning that the goal is to be in the playoffs, make a run to the final and be the first team in USL League One to win two championships. The first half results are not that of a team that seems set to make that run.

"We've wanted to be further along than we are," Cameron said at his press conference Tuesday. "We'd have liked to see more results than we have. We'd like to have seen, quite frankly, better performances from some of the players than we have."

"So now there's enough minutes played and enough evidence to say, who do we need to build upon this team and who's got to catch up. Who has to show something more, something different to force their way into the squad? There's plenty of minutes played now to do that. So the first half is about processing and having an identity and giving guys opportunities. As we get to the second half of the season, now you've had those opportunities and we need to put all that to the guys who can clearly get results," Cameron said. 

"We're not where we want to be. I don't think there's any point hiding away from that. but the staff, the players, we are all willing to be adaptable," he said. "The last two weeks, especially, I think we've had a lot of good meetings, productive meetings." 

The most obvious change has been a shift in formation to more of a 3-4-3 instead of the four in the back that Tormenta has played with previously. So far, Cameron has been pleased with what he's seen from that change.

"In the last five games, we've only got three draws and two losses in the last five. So only three points from five matches. Well, if you look statistically, we should have got more out of the games. So that's not taking enough of our chances. and then that's us giving up really, really sloppy goals. So that, again, is not much about the processes, that is about accountability," Cameron said. "And the boys are aware that the accountability in the last couple of weeks has went up a big notch and we'll go up even further to get them to where they should be because we're underperforming in terms of results."

Tormenta's next chance to show that accountability and improvement is Friday as they host One Knox in the second of two meetings between the team teams. Knoxville won 1-0 earlier this year in a game Cameron said they 

"We need a different performance. We've taken losses this year and there's different ways to lose games. And that performance (against Knoxville) did not feel good," Cameron said. 

He said Knoxville suffocated and outworked Tormenta in the first game between the two and that is something that he hopes has been addressed as they prepare for Friday. 

"It will be, we anticipate, a very, very different performance against what is a very, very strong team. They're a well coached, team, well drilled team and we'll have to do something special to score goals against them because they're so rugged defensively," he said.

Defensively, Knoxville has only given up 15 goals in their 14 combined regular season and Jagermeister Cup games. While their defense has been stout, offensively they have only scored 16 goals across their 14 games

Both teams need a win as Knoxville comes in with two wins and three losses in their last five while Tormenta has not won in regulation since May 18 against Chattanooga. 

Kickoff is set for Friday at 7:30 in Tormenta Stadium. 

News and Notes: 

Preston Kilwien was named June Tormenta Player of the Month

Alsadiq Hasan and Ajmeer Spengler talked about their experiences as trialists before being signed.

Drew Romig was named to Jagermeister Cup Team of the Round

Daniel Steedman's goal against Central Valley was named as Goal of the Round

Bryce Judy, Senior Director of Soccer Opperations, left to take a job at Orlando City FC, where he joins Tormenta alums Aaron Cranford and Conner Martin.

Noah Schroyer, director of communications and social media, has resigned with Friday's match being his last.