South Georgia Tormenta will play tonight in the first round of the 110th edition of the US Open Cup when they host amateur side Harbor City FC at 7 p.m.
The tournament is the oldest continuously run soccer cup competition in the country, dating back to the 1913-1914 season.
Tormenta has had a string of success in the Open Cup over recent years, knocking off teams from the higher division USL Championship each of the past three tournaments. But to have the chance to do that, they first have to get past Harbor City.
“We’ve got a really talented team from Florida coming in (tonight) who beat Club America, who we played last year and were pretty good and gave us a really tight challenge,” said Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron.
“The Open Cup is a beautiful competition,” said Tormenta midfielder Gabriel Cabral. “This competition should be advertised more. It should be brought to the people because it’s amazing when you can have teams from the third division and fourth division and play against an MLS team and have a chance of beating them like we almost did in 2022 when we played Inter Miami.”
Harbor City FC qualified after beating Club America CFL Spurs in a dramatic penalty kick shootout after playing a scoreless game. Harbor City advanced with a 5-4 win in the shootout when goalkeeper Bryce Notardonato made a save on the game’s final attempt to secure the win and entry into the Open Cup.
Tormenta striker Yaniv Bazini, who scored his first two professional goals on Saturday, is no stranger to the US Open Cup. As an amateur last season with the USL2 Club Vermont Green, Bazini and his team upset Lexington SC in the opening round.
Despite Vazini’s penalty kick conversion in the second round, Vermont fell to Carolina Core FC of MLS NextPro 2-1.
Now Bazini gets to experience the Open Cup as a professional and continue the tradition the tournament represents.
“Last time I played in the Open Cup was a great feeling up in Vermont,” he said. “But I’m happy to be here with the beautiful weather, beautiful team and I can’t wait to have another amazing Open Cup run,” he said.
“I know how big it is in the US and how much history it has. And to be a part of it always feels good after all the hard work you put it from a young kid. It’s a happy moment,”Bazini said.
On Saturday South Georgia defeated AV Alta in their USL League One regular season match and the quick turnaround to another match on Thursday saw Cameron make some adjustments to his lineup and player usage.
“We had a plan to keep a couple of guys that we know are really key to the organization to make sure they’re locked and ready to start Thursday and manage the week,” Cameron said. “We have already in place a couple of guys we know that didn’t play many minutes tonight but will do 70 to 90 (minutes) on Thursday. So they’ll help the group massively.”
Professional teams in the tournament are not guaranteed home games against amateur teams and Cameron said Tormenta’s focus and emphasis on the tournament is one factor in their success.
“One of the reasons we’ve done well in the Open Cup is the owners have always put in bids for us to play at home,” Cameron said. “That’s a big thing.”
Tormenta is undefeated against amateur clubs in the Open Cup in their history and have gained a reputation as giant killers within the tournament.
“It’s just survive and advance in those first few rounds,” Cameron said.
Last year Tormenta defeated amateur side Club America CFL Spurs and then the Savannah Clovers of the National Independent Soccer Association’s Savannah Clovers at home before traveling to defeat USL Championship side Miami FC for their fourth win over a second division club in three years.
Tormenta’s run would end in the Round of 32 where they fell in the final minutes of double overtime, 3-2, to another USL Championship team, the Charleston Battery. Cameron hopes this is the year they can topple a team from the top division of US Soccer.
“Two of the three years we’ve been in charge as a staff, MLS clubs have put us out. So let’s see if we can push this all the way to where we can face an MLS club and beat an MLS club for the first time in our history,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before then.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight at Tormenta Stadium.
USL planning for promotion, relegation
The United Soccer League announced Wednesday their plan to introduce promotion and relegation within their soccer ecosystem.
The system, used throughout the rest of the world, would see teams from lower divisions promoted for winning their league while teams that finish at the bottom of leagues would drop down a division for the following season.
“This is a transformative moment for American soccer and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront,” said Tormenta Owner and President Darin Van Tassell. “The USL’s decision opens new horizons for clubs like ours, proving that with dedication and performance, even teams from smaller markets can reach the pinnacle of the sport.”
The news was first reported Tuesday night by The Athletic and confirmed by the USL Wednesday with an announcement.
While the organization voted to implement promotion and relegation, several factors such as when it will begin and what it looks like are still to be determined, according to Tormenta Co-Owner and President Darin Van Tassell.
Van Tassell is on the Sporting Committee that will work with other owners to create a plan going forward
“I think we’ll take the next 10 to 12 months, probably, to figure out and make some proposals about what we think promotion and relegation will look like and when it starts,” he said.
Van Tassell said the earliest it would be implemented would be 2027 or 2028 as the USL is in the process of launching a new soccer league to sit at the same level as Major League Soccer. That would create three levels for teams to be promoted to or relegated from based on their performance.
For South Georgia Tormenta, this means the club will have the opportunity to advance from USL League One, where they currently play, up to the USL Championship and to the new league
“I don’t want to overstate it and say this was like the Continental Congress in Philadelphia when everybody met for the Constitution in 1789, but this was one of those moments, I think, that history will look back on us and really speak to some of the ambition, some of the courage that the owners are showing,” said Tormenta Owner and President Darin Van Tassell. “
“Promotion and relegation transforms the competitive landscape of American soccer,” said Paul McDonough, USL President and Chief Soccer Officer of the USL. He said the new structure will create a system in which more matches have consequences throughout the year.
“This shift challenges the status quo and brings a level of excitement and relevance that can elevate the game across the country,” he said.
Also, while teams will be promoted and relegated, it will all be done within the USL structure so a team at the bottom of the lowest league will not be dropped from the league as happens in other countries.
Even with the challenges and uncertainty as to the details, Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron said it’s a great opportunity for not only South Georgia, but for the players as well.
Cameron said many of the players brought in to Tormenta with the understanding that the team would make them better players while they’re in Statesboro, and the players would help the team compete for a championship. And if the players saw growth and success, the team was going to do everything to help them move up a level.
“This is another step forward. This is another opportunity for our club to put our money where our mouth is and say ‘yes, we can help you by moving on, but you can also have a pathway to do that with us here and continue your education under the Tormenta crest,” Cameron said.
