As the USL League One side of Tormenta FC prepares for its season opener this weekend, the team has plenty of new faces, but the same expectations. 

Now in its fourth season as a professional franchise, Tormenta is still looking for its first taste of the postseason. The squad got off to a blistering start in 2019 before injuries crippled it down the stretch. 2020 was shortened and hampered by the COVID pandemic and the team spun its wheels for too long last spring and dug a hole too deep to recover from despite flashes of excellences last season.

Head coach Ian Cameron won’t hide from any previous shortcomings, but he also won’t back off of current expectations.

“Last year was a challenge, for sure,” Cameron said. “We had some young players and three of our four coaches — myself included — were in our first year at the professional rank. I think there was a little naivete all around the first third of last season. In the second third, we were much closer to what we knew we could be. In the last third, we had injuries and not enough defense.”

Past seasons have seen large retention at the top of the depth chart, but 2022 will welcome in plenty of new faces, via promotion from lower levels of the organization or due to recruitment of outside talent.

Former captain and all-time Tormenta goals leader Marco Micaletto was loaned away during the offseason, but stalwart goalkeeper Pablo Jara returns, as does longest-tenured Tormenta member Josh Phelps and Alex Morrell, who returns to Statesboro this season after scoring the team’s first goal as a professional franchise.

“We have a good mix,” Cameron said. “We have hungry young players that are eager to prove they belong at this level. We also have some veterans like Pablo and Josh and Alex who will guide younger players and who have really found a home in this organization and in this community.

“And when it comes to guys like Marco, well, there’s a reason why this club’s motto is ‘Pro’s Start Here’. People like (former coach) John Miglarese and (team owners) the Van Tassell’s deserve credit for identifying a young kid and giving him the guidance and support to send him to the next level. That’s what everyone should be striving for.”

As for the season at hand, Tormenta seems poised to come out swinging… or, rather, kicking.

In addition to team building done over the winter, the last month has seen a group of eight trialists heavily contribute to a stellar showing against professional and collegiate sides. As a result, a few more yet-to-be-announced names may join the roster before Saturday night’s season opener.

“The last six weeks have been a grind,” Cameron said. “It’s been a mix of instilling in players what this coaching staff expects on the field and what this organization expects off the field. It’s a young and hungry group and we think we have the right combination of guys to reach our expectations.”

Tormenta will kick off its season Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. against North Carolina FC at Erk Russell Park.