South Georgia Tormenta FC emerged victorious with a 1-0 win in a head-to-head battle against the FC America CFL Spurs in the first round of the 109th Edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The win against FC America marks the first of the 2024 season for Tormenta FC. 

Both teams were rife with anticipation to begin play, and South Georgia found the first goal of the game in the fifth minute. Nick Akoto sent the ball sailing into the back of the net following a cross from Ajmeer Spengler. 

FC America spent the first half of the match searching for an equalizer, as the team struggled to maintain long stints of possession. A shot came from FC America in the 15th minute but was met with a heroic diving save by keeper Drew Romig.

Multiple chances arose for Tormenta FC to bolster the team’s lead late in the first half, but ultimately the score remained stagnant for the remainder of the game. A series of defensive plays came from defenders Jake Dengler and Preston Kilwien to help maintain the clean sheet for South Georgia. 

Substitutions for both teams came in the second half. The first substitutions for South Georgia occurred in the 59th minute, bringing on Pedro Campos for Spengler and Daniel Steedman for Conor Doyle.

The game’s intensity heightened in the second half with three yellow cards issued to South Georgia players. Gabriel Rodriguez made a swift attempt at a goal early in the second half, but the shot landed just wide of the sticks. 

FC America gained a higher level of possession in the second half, finding a rhythmic series of passes. Romig was forced to make a skillful save in the 71st minute to maintain the clean sheet for the Ibises. 

Ultimately, keeper Romig was able to maintain the clean record, marking South Georgia Tormenta’s first clean-sheet of the 2024 regular season. South Georgia Tormenta FC will represent the region when moving on to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.