By MICHAEL BATTISTA

ussoccer.com

South Georgia Tormenta FC have been here before.

The USL League One side have made a habit of beating their so-called betters in the U.S. Open Cup, American Soccer’s most historic tournament, starting back in 2022. They have another shot to extend their success Wednesday evening in Charleston.

These are games that, by basic logic, they shouldn’t be winning. “When we get those chances to express ourselves against USL championship sides – above them in the country’s soccer pyramid – I think we really take advantage of it,” said Jake Dengler, veteran defender and one of the team’s scorers in the previous round’s 4-2 upset over Miami FC.

Dengler and the rest of the players, whose experiences in the Open Cup range from debutants to champions, don’t care about expectations. Neither do the club’s fans, who embody best what Statesboro – among the smallest markets in American pro sports – is as a community.

South Georgia Tormenta tend to “torment” higher-division teams. They’ve never lost to a USL Championship (Div. II) side in the U.S. Open Cup since making their tournament debut three years ago. The 2022 edition saw the club reach the Round of 32 by beating Charleston Battery and Birmingham Legion FC both, before falling to a pre-Messi Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer.

They’re now one of four Division III teams still alive in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, and Wednesday’s upcoming rematch against USL Championship-topping Charleston is on the road at Patriots Point. Whoever wins will host the winner of Charlotte Independence’s game against MLS’ Atlanta United FC. The chance to host a higher-division team in Statesboro for the second time ever (Rio Grande Valley Toros was the first, in 2023) is a huge incentive.

“I think every lower-level team wants to play somebody in the league above,” said Darrin Van Tassell, Tormenta co-owner and founder. “It was certainly a big deal for those amateur teams that we played early [like this year’s First Round amateur opponents FC America CFL Spurs] and we recognize that.”

A stepping stone

Tormenta followed up the Round of 32 appearance in the 2022 tournament by going on to win a USL League One title, but they also know their role in the U.S. Soccer pyramid. Players are developed in Statesboro and, hopefully, they then go on to bigger and better things.

Miami FC, the USL Championship side Tormenta upset in the last round, has had multiple Statesboro alumni in recent years, including Daltyn Knutson and Gabrial Cabral. Kazaiah Sterling, the Tottenham Hotspur product who made his American name in Statesboro, is now with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Championship. Even D.C. United midfielder Conner Antley can trace his roots back to Statesboro. The list goes on.

Dengler has seen the roster change, the ages get younger as he gets older (currently 24). And it's all part of the plan for what Tormenta wants to be in the U.S. Soccer ecosystem.

“It's a great platform for us because Tormenta is supposed to be a place that you want to come to prove yourself and get out,” he said. “You don't want to stay at Tormentor forever.”

Nonetheless, Dengler has seen a lot of success in his time in Statesboro.

“Tormenta was definitely the first time I actually got a true run of it [the Open Cup] and we actually got Charleston Battery in that first game [in 2022],” said Dengler, who can still remember the jitters he had making his Open Cup debut with amateur heroes FC Baltimore Christos back in 2019.

Dengler also remembers the feelings of traveling to Statesboro for the first time. He hit dirt roads pretty quick after leaving the city limits.

But he admits that after three years, including recently signing a new contract to stay with Tormenta, the city feels like home. He gets recognized on the street there and felt welcomed from his first days in town.

“I've told a lot of people Statesboro is what you make it,” said Dengler. “These past three years, I think we made it a really fun place as a team and the culture here is just amazing.”

Van Tassell knows that as his team grows, the culture will only expand.

“I think the best of college towns really love themselves. I think that they wish more people knew about them and we're really eager for others to hear our story,” said Van Tassell, doing the hard work in the Front Office. “We're not the capital cities of our states. And we certainly aren't the biggest in the country.

“I think it's a reminder that if you support somebody, they want to be a part of you also,” he added. “That’s what’s happening here. And it's special.”

Michael Battista is an award-winning journalist and regular contributor to TheCup.us, Hudson River Blue, & New York Sports Nation. Follow him at @MichaelBattista on X/Twitter.