One more before the road (probably)

Photo Credit: Tormenta FC

Can I tell you a secret?

Just between us ok? No one else needs to know.

Ok, here goes.

I was super nervous after my preview post last week before the Greenville game. I spent a lot of time talking about the playoffs and Tormenta likely returning for the first time since 2022. I wrote stuff like "any playoff game is something to savor," which, while true, could have been premature. 

You see, Tormenta hadn't actually clinched a playoff spot yet. There was still a chance South Georgia crashed and burned and missed the postseason completely. I tell myself I don't believe in jinxes, but there's always a small part of me that worries that maybe, just maybe, I can jinx something and suddenly things go terribly wrong and somehow I was responsible.

(I promise you that if I had the power to jinx things, I would use that power on more important things than getting a running clock in a high school football game or Tormenta making the playoffs.)

As it turned out, I was worried for nothing. Tormenta took care of business against Greenville, with four different players scoring en route to a 4-1 win. Even without that, Madison laid an egg against Omaha, falling 4-0.Tormenta needed a Madison loss/draw to clinch a playoff spot regardless of their outcome against Greenville. A win for Madison would have put them in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot. Now, of the three teams fighting for the final spot, they have the longest row to hoe. We'll let the fine folks at Talkin' Flock handle that as we look at Tormenta's season finale.

Tormenta can still finish as high as 4th in the standings and host a playoff match. Yes, really!  

All that needs to happen is (deep breath) Tormenta beat Texoma, Naples lose/draw at Charlotte, Omaha lose to Spokane, Portland to lose/draw against an AV Alta team fighting for a playoff spot and if all that happens, Tormenta would still need to make up the seven goal difference in goal differential with Omaha. Assuming the Omaha/Spokane game isn't a shootout (like 11-6 or something), Tormenta could claim the 4th spot as both teams would have 13 wins, a tie in goal differential and then Tormenta would take the spot by virtue of goals scored in league games. I'm telling you there's a chance. 

In reality, Tormenta is looking at a road playoff game to open the playoffs. But before that, we have one more home game to enjoy. At least one more night at Tormenta Stadium. There is nothing like live sports, being outside amongst friends and enjoying a game. As I said when I first started the blog, sports are supposed to be fun and going to games is always fun.

Texoma makes its inaugural trip to Statesboro Saturday to wrap up the season. They come in to the game with a 7-13-9 record and will finish no worse than 12th in their first season. However, they do have the worst goal differential in the league at -17, which isn't good. Of late they've seemed to play well, giving up only six goals in their previous five games while scoring four. 

For the season, however, Texoma sits in that bad spot where they are second to last in goals scored (35) and second worst in goals allowed (52, tied with Richmond).

Old friend Ajmeer Spengler leads Texoma with nine goals on the year. That's more than 25 percent of the team's goals this season. Once again, I'm no soccer tactician, but maybe Tormenta should pay attention to him. 

Texoma is coming off a 2-1 loss at Knoxville that saw two red cards, including one to former Tormenta player Davey Mason as the game got feisty.

In the two teams one previous meeting, Tormenta twice took a one goal lead in the first, only to see Texoma equalize later in the half. A scoreless second half would see the teams walk away with a 2-2 draw. 

Tormenta, meanwhile, had three players, Sebastian Vivas, Yaniv Bazini and Makel Rasheed, all named to USL League One Team of the Week after their throttling of Greenville that not only secured a playoff spot, but it secured the Peach States Derby and kept the Triumph out of the playoffs for the first time in five years. Greenville did keep Niall Reid-Stephen from scoring, but he did have an assist on the night. 

Tormenta is now 8-1-2 under Mark McKeever since he took over following Ian Cameron's resignation in early August. I know no one does second half of the year awards like they do midseason awards, but you've got to think McKeever and Reid-Stephen would be up for some of those awards if such a thing existed. It seems unfair to have a great second half and not really be recognized. Like in MLB, a great first half can get you an all-star appearance. A great second half just means you're a breakout candidate for next year. No All-Star game or any of the benefits that come with it. 

Anyway, Tormenta can finish no worse than 7th in the standings but their potential playoff opponent is still up in the air. They won't be playing whoever finishes eighth, that much I can tell you. Other than that, I think there's a chance they could play anyone else in the tournament. After missing the postseason the past two years, I don't really care who Tormenta plays. I'm just excited for postseason soccer.

But until then, let's enjoy one last night at Tormenta Stadium. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and I'll have a full game recap online at Statesboroherald.com sometime on Sunday.