McKeever making his mark on Tormenta

It's been a month since Ian Cameron stepped down and Mark McKeever took over as interim manager for Tormenta. (Technically it was a month on Monday but I overlooked that, so we're a couple of days late.) It's been five games, which while not a lot in the grand scheme of things, is 17 percent of the League One season, so it's not nothing to be sure. It's certainly enough time to take stock of where things are going under McKeever as he auditions for the interim tag to be potentially removed from his title going forward.

And to be clear, I'm not advocating one way or another. I'm perfectly happy to say I'm not qualified to say if McKeever should be the permanent man in charge. That's a decision for the Van Tassells to make and if they were to consult me on that, I'd question any and every decision they've ever made regarding Tormenta. Also, if they were to consult me, I'd tell them to name my oldest as Manager so he can always go 11 for 11 in America's Favorite Game. 

These are the kinds of hot takes you can only get at Stormwatch912. A strong "I don't know" is the analysis you've grown to love and depend on here and we seek to continue to provide such compelling coverage going forward. 

But setting aside if McKeever should have the job, we can take a look at how things have gone under his leadership thus far.

What jumps out to me is the offense. Under Cameron, Tormenta scored three goals just three times in 2025. Two of those were in the opening rounds of their US Open Cup run and the third was the thrilling 3-3 draw with Charleston in the Jagermeister Cup. Otherwise, Tormenta's offense never quite clicked this season with Cameron in charge.

Under McKeever, Tormenta has scored three or more goals four times in five games, with the only time they were shut out being against Chattanooga in a match that saw Gabriel Alves earn a red card in the 20th minute. Well, that and Chattanooga is really good, having only conceded 19 goals in 22 games.

"These lads are going to score goals in every game," he said following Saturday's 2-1 win over Knoxville. "They're good enough so I know that we're going to score two or three. I know we've got big players in big moments, so 1-0 down, I don't care. Two-nothing down, I don't care. Three-nothing down, I don't care. We can score four."

I think he would care if Tormenta were down 3-0, but his point still stands. 

"We can get goals from all over the field and they're firing and confident and you see that in their performance," McKeever said. 

So what's different? Well, for starters the formation is different. Gone is the familiar back four that Cameron ran with during the majority of his tenure. In its place, McKeever has shifted to a 3-4-3. With the new formation is also a change in style away from Cameron's possession-based plan to a more direct approach. 

Midfielder Gabriel Cabral said the formation change was big, but that McKeever made other changes as well such as the structure of the team during the game.

"I think everyone has bought in to the idea. I think everyone is trying their hardest and that's the most important part. The result (of the game) is going to be the result of the work the guys put in during the week. Everyone has bought it so it's been a good month," Cabral said. 

Mason Tunbridge echoed Cabral's comments about the team buying in to McKeever's vision and style of play.

"On the whole, I think the group loves him," Tunbridge said. "He's not tried to do anything fancy. He sort of understands that we're on the field and he gives the autonomy to us to make the decisions and to play. It's not complicated what we're told to go and do, but it's demanding. As long as we buy into the demand it's up to us to go and perform and I think we're doing that under him."

I asked Official Stormwatch912 Tactics Consultant* John Morrissey, what, if anything, McKeever and Tormenta were doing differently since he wrote about them a few weeks ago.

Morrissey said he's seeing the same confidence that McKeever spoke about in the players.

"I think you're seeing the team more confident and more willing to take risks," he told me over Bluesky. "They're keeping the ball on the ground to a greater degree in possession. You're likelier to see one of the center backs step up for a challenge, trusting that the rest of the back three is steady in behind. I've seen a lot more of Gabriel Cabral pushing into the left pocket in possession, where he was a big more conservative in the opening McKeever games."

McKeever was quick to downplay his role in Tormenta's success, crediting the players for adapting to what he's presenting to them.

"I'm just doing what I know, what I do, and I'm grateful that I'm getting the response from the players and the buy-in from the players," he said. 

"A new system compliments the players' strengths and weaknesses, so it was a natural progression and I think the guys embrace it and enjoy the system," he said. "So if you embrace it and you enjoy it, obviously the willingness to do it becomes escalated."

"We've tightened the nuts and bolts at training with tough days and trying to get closer to game intensity. We've changed the week schedule, which I think the guys are responding to," he said.

McKeever pointed to the leadership group as having a key say in the direction he's looking to take the team and he makes sure everyone is on board with the course he's charted.

"It's putting it on the table as 'I think we should do this' and the leadership group then saying 'we believe that's the right thing to do' and then the players following the leadership group saying 'we want to do that' and then we all do it together," he said. 

Tunbridge said he feels he's able to play with a little more freedom under McKeever.

"He backs my ability and I try to repay him with that," he said. "When a coach believes in me, I think that's massive for me. Coach Mark seems to have believed in me from the start and he's kept playing me and trusting me. Belief goes a long way with confidence and enjoyment. I just want to keep repaying him." Tunbridge said.

Under McKeever, Tormenta has picked up 10 points in its last five games and now sit just one point out of the playoffs. Of their final seven games, only two come against a team currently in playoff position (AV Alta on September 20th and a matchup with Spokane on October 11, with both of them being on the road.) The return to action on Saturday when they travel to face a Greenville squad who have a Jagermeister Cup semifinal match today.  What impact that has on Saturday remains to be seen. 

*Official Stormwatch912 Tactics Consultant is a highly technical and official term for "someone willing to respond to my Bluesky messages."  It does not, in any way, reflect an endorsement of anything written at Stormwatch912 and any of the accounts, descriptions or conclusions therein. It is primarily a ceremonial title, much like being knighted by the King of England, as there is no monetary or even social benefit to the title. If anything, it is a social harm that can only diminish one's social standing. As such, despite being called the "Official Stormwatch912 Tactics Consultant," it is very much an unofficial title and no endorsement is explicitly or implicitly implied. Title not valid in Tennessee, any part of the former Hapsburg empire or the Otago region of New Zealand.