Two first-half goals and solid defense propelled South Georgia Tormenta to their first home win in the 2024 USL League One as they defeated Lexington Sporting Club 3-0 Saturday night at Tormenta Stadium

Tormenta would start the scoring in just the eight minute when Ajmeer Spengler gathered a loose ball in Lexington territory and drove into the box on the left side. There he found Jackson Khoury with a pass to the endline. Khoury faked a cross and then cut it back to Gabriel Rodriguez at the near post whose shot found the back of the net to put Tormenta ahead 1-0. 

“It’s all from Jackson,” Rodriguez said of his goal. “He makes his cross and it’s all my movement and I just have to finish.”

Just about 16 minutes later Tormenta (2-2-1, 7 pts) would look to double their lead. Nick Akoto was able to press upfield on the right side before finding Pedro Fonseca at the edge of the 18-yard box. Fonseca would draw a foul inside the penalty area to set up a penalty kick.

Moments later he would bury the kick to the right as the Lexington goalkeeper dove left to make it 2-0 Tormenta. He would celebrate by taking a ball and putting it under his jersey and pointing to the stands in honor of his wife and baby they are expecting.

“We’re expecting, my wife and I, a little girl, and celebrating by dedicating this first goal for her,” he said afterwards. “I was looking forward to scoring my first goal in the league this year and that goal was for her,” he said.

Lexington (1-3-1, 4 pts) would have opportunities in the first half, including in the 30th minute when Jayden Onen fired off a shot from about 23 yards out that sailed high and left.

Just before halftime Lexington would have another opportunity as they beat the Tormenta defense to the endline and cut back a pass that rolled through the six-yard box untouched before being cleared. 

Tormenta would put the game away in the 81st minute. Conor Doyle’s corner kick, the fifth of the night for South Georgia, found its way to the head of Jake Dengler at the penalty spot and fell to the feet of Sebastian Vivas.

Vivas took a touch and lifted a shot over the keeper that hit the roof of the net for his first goal in USL League One this season to make it 3-0. Vivas previously scored on Wednesday during Tormenta’s U.S, Open Cup victory over the Savannah Clovers of the National Independent Soccer Association.

“The embryo of this is the Knoxville trip last Saturday,” Manager Ian Cameron said following the match, referring to South Georgia’s previous League One match in which they lost 1-0. “It didn’t feel good. You can lose a game and you accept that team’s can be better. But it’s the manner in which we lost the game. We felt they outcompeted us, outmuscled us and we didn’t throw enough punches.

“So it was a big week for us to respond. Wednesday (against Savannah) was a stepping stone but against superior competition tonight, I thought the boys were very good and it started with our defensive action and they were fully worth the 3-nil win,” Cameron said.

On the night Tormenta held Lexington to eight shots with only two on target. Tormenta, meanwhile, had 11 shots with eight on frame for the night. 

Cameron said Saturday’s game was the most complete performance for his team so far in the season.

“We scored the goals. Defensively we had moments. (We surrendered) crosses but didn’t give up any clear chances,” Cameron said. 

“Today was a good game,” said Tormenta midfielder Tavio D’Almeida. “We were aggressive. We played like we really wanted to win and I think we showed that on the pitch today defensively and offensively.”

Despite the performance, D’Almedia said there is still room to improve for the team.

“I think this was one of the best games of the year, but we can still play better and we will play better,” he said.

Like all good coaches, Cameron still saw areas where Tormenta will need to improve as the season progresses. He pinpointed about a dozen opportunities the team could have been more efficient in the offensive third, but said that it can be difficult at times when a team has a 2-0 lead to decide to be more aggressive or to play it more conservatively.

Cameron said it was important to get a win and have a good performance at home not just for the team, but for the fans as well.

“We need to be better at home,” he said. “We’ve been ok, but we’ve not been good enough. We’ve been very good on the road but our fans who come out deserve home performances and I feel the boys on Wednesday night, on Saturday night, gave them good performances.”

Tormenta has a week off before returning to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup when they travel to face Miami FC on April 17 before returning home on Sunday, April 21 when they host Greenville Triumph.

“You give them proper rest tomorrow. You give them proper rest on Monday. And then come Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you have four days of intense training,” Cameron said of their plans for the bye week. 

“You can’t use those four days to prepare for the Open Cup. That’s going to be four days that prepares us for the next month," Cameron said.