South Georgia Tormenta FC announced today that Tormenta FC 2 will take a one-year hiatus from USL League Two play, as the club aims to elevate Tormenta FC’s USL Academy team throughout the 2023 season, continuing the club’s commitment to making Tormenta FC Academy a gold standard for USL.
With this shift, the USL Academy team in Statesboro will provide a better stepping stone for local players to interact, train and compete with the USL League One professional team. Additionally, the Tormenta FC coaching staff will emphasize developing the local USL Academy talent around South Georgia and the Low Country of South Carolina while also allowing them to experience a professional soccer setting.
“Our club and USL League Two have enjoyed a fruitful bond over the last decade,'' Tormenta FC Technical Director and USL League One Head Coach Ian Cameron said. “It’s a model we remain big advocates of and will recruit heavily from for the purpose of our USL League One team. Indeed, our USL League One Championship-winning team last year was littered with players unearthed from this system. Likewise, our club and fan base have also enjoyed watching Tormenta FC 2 alums get drafted or apply their trade within the USL pro ecosystem.
“Now, it’s time for our club to evolve and forge an even closer partnership between our USL Academy team and our USL League One team."
"We’re energized by the idea of developing first-team players in-house with a year-round model, and that’s what USL Academy affords us, in conjunction with MLS NEXT program. This alignment is with a view to even greater integration between our Academy and USL League One teams. Our coaches across all platforms believe that in the next five-to-ten years, Tormenta FC can be at the forefront of player development in this country.”
For Tormenta FC, it is crucial to always be at the forefront of the growth of soccer in this part of the world. From being the first USL team to be announced in League One and W League to being the first club in modern U.S. Soccer history to win a women’s (USL W League) and men’s (USL League One) title in the same season (2022), Tormenta FC now aims to have its USL Academy team be competitive and develop high-level talent year in, year out.
In addition to having a USL Academy Boys team, Tormenta FC is delighted to announce that a USL Academy Girls team will also be competing in the summer of 2023, which will provide Tormenta FC Academy talents an opportunity to compete and learn with the best women’s collegiate soccer athletes in the nation.
Tormenta Nation will be able to watch all of the USL Academy talents compete live from Tormenta Stadium throughout the 2023 season; USL Academy matches will now be included in the season ticket package in replace of USL League Two matches.
The 2023 Tormenta FC Season Ticket Special ends on Jan. 18. To make sure to take advantage of the special, contact your account representative today to learn more.