Kickin' it with the Kickers

 In case you missed it, Tormenta removed the interim tag from Mark McKeever, naming him Manager for Tormenta on Wednesday. 

At least one person has said McKeever should get consideration for League One Manager of the Year for his turn around of Tormenta. While I see the case and am sympathetic to it to a point, it's hard for me to see giving the award to someone who was head coach for 12 games when someone like Scott MacKenzie has guided Chattanooga to the league's top spot and will have been doing it for 30 games. At some point, just the volume of games has to count for something. However, if Tormenta ends up going 10-1-1 under McKeever, he would have a case. I just happen to think MacKenzie's case would be stronger (assuming the Red Wolves don't collapse between now and the end of the season.)

But like Outkast sang, "ya'll don't want to hear me, you just wanna dance," or at least you want me to write about the upcoming game with Richmond and not about end of season awards when there's still roughly 17 percent of the season to be played. Tormenta fans know as well as anyone that a lot can happen in five games.

So lets get to Richmond. When I first started covering Tormenta in 2022, Richmond was the class of the league. They won the Players' Shield that year, winning 14 of 30 games and claiming 51 points on the year. They were far and away the most dominant, sporting a +19 goal differential. In their second to last game of the year, they took a 1-0 win over Madison. They went on to draw against Greenville in the season finale and then lost to Chattanooga following their bye in the playoffs. 

That season was the high point for Richmond over the past few years. 2023 saw them tumble to 11th in the league with a -13 goal differential. Last year Richmond snuck into the playoffs in the final spot despite having a -9 goal differential (in fairness, teams 7-10 all had a -9 goal differential. This was a case where the expanded playoffs let teams that were probably undeserving into the field, but you play with the rules that are in place. And Promotion-Relegation should hopefully help eliminate this kind of thing in the future.)

Which brings us to this year, where Richmond finds itself again near the bottom, only three points ahead of last place Westchester. Back-to-back shutout wins over One Knox and Westchester at the end of August into September seemed to turn the tide for Richmond, but since then they've gone and lost three straight and while they're mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, it would be a stunning story if they made a run to the postseason.

Darwin Espinal has been a bright spot for Richmond, scoring 9 goals in just 21 games for the Kickers. Josh Kirkland has added seven for Richmond. The team, however, is in ninth in scoring with 34 goals, seven behind league leading Charlotte. (Tormenta has 40). 

Defensively, meanwhile, Richmond has had trouble stopping teams as they've given up 44 goals on the year (Tormenta has conceded 42, but only seven goals in McKeever's seven games, and only two goals in their last four matches.) In their three game losing streak, they've given up nine goals. 

The two teams have met twice already, with Richmond winning 4-2 in the USL League One season opener Tormenta getting revenge with a 3-2 win in McKeever's second game as the admiral of the Tormenta ship.

Tormenta comes in to Saturday looking to set a club record with their fifth straight win and have been firing on all cylinders. McKeever has said he knows Tormenta has the talent to score, (they've scored 17 goals in seven game since he took over), and he seems to have shored up the defense lately. 

It's Paws and Claws night at Tormenta Stadium Saturday with those who bring pet supply donations receiving either a free student ticket or $5 adult tickets. Three Dollar White Claws will be on sale (not for the kiddos!).

Also, kickoff is at 7 p.m. instead of the traditional 7:30 kickoff that Tormenta has for the hottest part of the year. 

Tormenta Rooting Guide for this weekend: Who South Georgia needs to win or in some cases, who the need to lose, to boost their playoff chances. 

Friday: 

Charlotte at One Knox - Tormenta is still trying to track down Charlotte and with One Knox 10 points ahead of South Georgia with only five game left for Tormenta, that may be out of reach. So even though the University of Tennesse-Knoxville didn't offer my wife a job many years ago, we'll cheer for One Knox.

Saturday: 

Texoma at Portland - Tormenta is still within shouting distance of Portland, but Portland is hotter than the current "It girl" of the moment. (I'm old and out of touch with the youths. Is it still Cincy Crawford? Salma Hayek? Audrey Hepburn?). Still, things break right and Tormenta could be only two points behind Portland, so lets go you double birds of Texoma.

Omaha at Chattanooga - Chattanooga was the first team to clinch a playoff spot over the weekend and Tormenta can't catch them in the standings. Omaha, meanwhile, are tied in points with Tormenta though they have a game in hand. I still owe Chattanooga for forgetting about Rusty when I did my mascot thing earlier this year, so the Red Wolves are the pick. Well, that and Tormenta needs Omaha to lose to pass them in the standings, but also the Rusty thing. I still feel bad. 

AV Alta at FC Naples - It seems mean to pick on Alta after Tormenta ran away from them in the second half last week, but despite Alta not winning a League One game since July, like the Counting Crows sang, they've been hanging around are are only one point out of playoff position. Catching Naples seems out of reach for Tormenta at this point barring an Alta-like slide from them, so might as well hope they can help Tormenta and put some distance between the Ibises and Alta.

Greenville at Spokane - Another game where one team is essentially out of reach for Tormenta while the other is attempting to chase down a playoff spot. Tormenta actually has road games left against both of these teams. Still, the play here is to cheer for Spokane because it's our long-standing policy here at Stormwatch912 that we don't want anything good to happen to Greenville. We don't wish them ill, just a mundane existence devoid of joy and happiness. Now that I write that out, that's far too cruel. Yeah, that's a bit too dark, I just don't want the Triumph or Furman University to ever win anything. Otherwise, go nuts and be happy Greenville.

Sunday:

Madison at Westchester - I turned on the Westchester game briefly on Sunday when it started and was surprised at how dark it was already. I forget how far west Statesboro is than other places on Eastern Time. On Sunday for this game, sunset in Statesboro is 7:15 p.m. while in Westchester, the sun sets at 6:41 p.m. I have no idea how people there do it when the sun sets at like 4:30 p.m. in December. Anyway, the game. A second win for Westchester in a row and suddenly the bottom of the table is a lot more interesting. I guess they're the pick here just to keep Madison at bay.