The 2022 season for South Georgia Tormenta FC ended with a championship and memories for the players, coaches and staff of the club. But Manager Ian Cameron knows that success isn’t guaranteed for a team looking to defend its title.
“You don’t own success. You only rent it and we rented it last year. It was fun, but we give back that trophy when we kick off on March 17th and everybody has an equal opportunity to win it,” Cameron said.
Several players from last season’s championship team have found new soccer homes. Midfielder Gabriel Cabral’s contract was sold to USL Championship squad Miami FC where he’ll join former Tormenta defender Curtis Thorn. Also moving on to a USL Championship side is 2022’s Comeback Player of the Year Adrian Billhardt as he joined Detroit City FC.
Jamil Roberts, who scored the championship-clinching goal in 2022 is currently playing in Australia as is native Australian Josh Phelps, who had his contract sold to Melbourne Knights FC following the 2022 campaign.
“They came to this club with the idea of leaving their mark, enjoying the football and then hopefully this having been a platform for them to move to a higher level and going to flourish there,” Cameron said. “For us to be a part of that process for them gives us great satisfaction.”
Tormenta will be counting on several newcomers to supplement their returning core in 2023. Among them is defender Preston Kilwien who spent 2022 with the Charleston Battery in the USL Championship.
Kilwein said it’s always a little intimidating joining a new team and compared it to going away to college for the first time. However, he said he’s felt right at home as he’s been getting to know his new teammates.
“The staff, the owners and everyone has just been fantastic in welcoming the new players and not making us feel like the new kids on the block,” he said. “They bring you in and you can really feel the sense of family here.”
Kilwein is expected to slot in as a central defender next to Jake Dengler. Kilwein said the two have developed a friendship off the field already. That friendship, he hopes, will be key to working together on the field and allow them the confidence to know that anything said on the field between them isn’t meant with disrespect but only trying to be competitive.
Joining Kilwien as a new Tormenta player with USL Championship experience is midfielder John Murphy, who spent 2022 with New York Red Bulls II after playing 2021 with USL1’s Union Omaha. Murphy scored twice during the 2022 season.
Midfielder Matheus Cassini signed with Tormenta in the offseason after spending 2022 with Forward Madison where he recorded five goals and five assists on the year.
Along with Murphy and Cassini, Tormenta added several other midfielders, including Pedro Fonseca from Real Monarchs, Elijah Amo from the Maryland Bobcats and Jackson Khouri from Australia.
“It’s always daunting when you bring in a new group because you don’t know yet,” Cameron said. “This is a new group and a new group provides new opportunities. New guys who can change the course and culture of this club and leave an indelible mark. It’s still the early days, but we think we’ve got a lot of young men who can make a real impact on this community and this club’s history."
Midfielder Matheus Cassini signed with Tormenta in the offseason after spending 2022 with Forward Madison where he recorded five goals and five assists on the year.
Along with Murphy and Cassini, Tormenta added several other midfielders, including Pedro Fonseca from Real Monarchs, Elijah Amo from the Maryland Bobcats and Jackson Khouri from Australia to join returners Kingsford Adjei, Tobias Otieno and Chris Heckenberg.
Among the returners for Tormenta include the goalkeeping duo of Pablo Jara and T.J. Bush as well as the team’s leading scorer from last year, Kazaiah Sterling who scored 17 goals in 26 matches in 2022.
“There’s a lot of quality so there’s a lot of competition for spots which is obviously really good for everyone,” Heckenberg said. “You can’t compete for championships if you don’t have everyone competing day in and day out for spots.”
Heckenberg, who tallied two assists in 2022, said being the defending champions is going to be a different experience for the team. “Last year we were kind of the underdogs,” he said. “Now we’re getting chased rather than being the chasers which is kind of exciting for us.”
Cameron said one of the keys for 2023 is for the players returning from last year’s club stay motivated for more success. “We need to make sure they have the hunger and the desire necessary to go and climb that mountain again and do something special,” he said.
Even though Tormenta won the championship last year, Cameron and Heckenberg both said there was more to achieve this season.
“The reality is we didn’t win the regular season last year,” Cameron said. “We were a very good playoff team and deserved it in the end. The back part of the season we were fantastic.
“We know everyone’s going to be better this year. Everyone’s going to be stronger and for us to, never mind win it, but be competitive and be in the playoffs, first and foremost we’re going to have to band together and show a lot of fight and growth and commitment and preparedness as a team,” Cameron said. “All those things have to be in place for us to be back in the championship game and it’s a long, long road towards that.”
Tormenta kicks off their season on March 17 on the road against North Carolina FC before opening their home slate on March 25 when they host Charlotte Independence.
