One Knox Preview

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I wanted to post something while I was on an family trip to North Carolina over and extended July 4th weekend, but it didn't happen. I did get a chance to watch the game against Portland, which was nice. But we're back with an abbreviated recap/preview for the weekend. As it's a home game, the game story will be published at StatesboroHerald.com sometime Sunday.

I don't have any more travel planned for the rest of the year so we shouldn't have any more interruptions in posting going forward other than my proclivity to be lazy from time to time. I actually have a backlog of topics I want to hit on soon and hopefully I can write those up in the coming weeks. 

A lot has changed since Tormenta and Knoxville met just a few weeks ago. It's only been 21 days since Knoxville shut out Tormenta 3-0 in Tennessee that saw Tormenta dominate possession (65% to 35%) and outshoot One Knox (12-10) but come away on the short side and extend their winless streak to six.

Since that game, however, Tormenta has looked decidedly better. They topped Naples 2-1 in a sweltering match in Statesboro and then came back from a 3-1 deficit against Charleston in the Jagermeister Cup to earn a draw against what in considered one of the top USL Championship teams. 

Then last week Tormenta traveled to Portland where they again fell behind early, but rallied for a 1-1 draw that saw South Georgia have to see out the final 26 minutes (including stoppage time) down a man following the second yellow card of the night for Tormenta's Callum Stretch.

One Knox, meanwhile, has seen their fortunes fall since their decisive win over Tormenta. Back-to-back 1-0 losses (at Madison in the Jagermeister Cup and at Chattanooga last Saturday) have seen Knoxville held scoreless in consecutive games for the first time all season. 

Despite playing the fewest number of games in the league this season (10), Knoxville is currently in seventh place in USL League One with 16 points and 4-2-4 record. Tormenta, meanwhile, sits in 11th place with a 3-7-3 record on the season and 12 points. 

Tormenta has lost four straight to Knoxville, including all three matchups last season. You have to go all the way back to September 23, 2023 for South Georgia's last win against Knoxville, a 1-0 victory.

Saturday's match is Tormenta's only home game in July as they'll be in Omaha, Madison and Miami the rest of the month before hosting Greenville on August 2.  As I write this on Thursday afternoon, the forecast looks fairly nice for a Saturday night in Statesboro in July, with kickoff temperature around 85, dropping to 80 by the end of the game and a 20% chance of rain. 

News and Notes: 


Tim Howerton (@rbpenguinmedia.bsky.social) with a breakdown of Union Omaha's Dominic Casciato's departure to take the helm at Tampa Bay (with one coach on his potential hires list that I was not a fan of.)

Niall Reid-Stephen was named to League One Team of the Week following their draw with Portland.

The New York Cosmos are back and will be in USL League One.







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