Greenville’s Playoff Run Cut Short in 1-0 Semifinal Loss to Tormenta
October 29, 2022 – United Soccer League One (USL1) – Greenville Triumph SC News Release
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club’s offense was unable to find the back of the net in a low-scoring contest on Saturday night, as the club fell 1-0 in the League One Semifinals against regional rival South Georgia Tormenta FC. The loss was Greenville’s first home postseason loss and ended the run of three straight League One Final appearances for the Upstate side.
A crisp fall night at Legacy Early College set the stage for Greenville’s fourth consecutive semifinal appearance as the team faced Tormenta FC for the fourth time in 2022. The veteran Triumph squad began the match with urgency, inching forward towards the opposition’s goal. Midfielders, Allen Gavilanes and Jesus Ibarra threatened the Tormenta defense, challenging them one-on-one in the attacking third early. However, the flurry of runs and combination plays failed to convert into a goal for Greenville. Unable to define the match early, Greenville fell back to defend a speedy Tormenta side. Just before the halftime break, Tormenta’s leading scorer Kazaiah Sterling finished off a misplaced ball in the midfield to put Tormenta up 1-0.
Midway through the second half, Greenville introduced fresh legs into the attack, sparked by Venton Evans and a series of shots on the Tormenta goal. Despite the swift shift in momentum, Greenville was unable to pierce the tall, physical defensive back line of Tormenta. As time ran out, last-ditch efforts from Greenville came to similar ends as Tormenta turned shot after shot away. As the final whistle blew, a Triumph offense that struggled to consistently score across the season came up short of extending Greenville’s streak of consecutive appearances in the League One Final.
“There were some great moments this season. Paul Christensen was probably one of, if not the top keeper in the League, not just because of clean sheets but being consistent. I think the season went really well. You can’t shake a stick at beating Oakland and winning games in the Open Cup, and when you can get a chance to play Charlotte FC and push them right to the last minute. There were so many great moments there. And I don’t know who can forget that celebration, which was amazing, when Don scored against Oakland. But just really good moments and I’m proud of the group, I really am and they should be proud of themselves. It was a good fight and every team is going to fight and want to compete. And Tormenta came with a fight tonight,” said Head Coach John Harkes.
The Triumph will now look ahead to next year, where new clubs in Lexington, KY and Knoxville, TN join USL League One. Greenville will look to begin a fifth straight playoff campaign when the season kicks off in March 2023.
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