BREAKING NEWS: South Georgia Tormenta’s USL1 Professional Side to Return
- Calum Ewing
- Feb 23
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Sources can confirm to the National Soccer Network that the South Georgia Tormenta are not folding their professional men’s organization and the USL1 side will return in the future.
The USL announced in a short press release that the club will not field a side for the upcoming season. NSN can confirm existing reports that detailed workers’ compensation payments as the main issue for the club’s inability to field a team in 2026. We can also confirm that all players will be released as free agents with 3 months of severance pay. Tormenta signed or returned 17 players in the offseason, including back to back USL1 Goalkeeper of the Year Sean Lewis from One Knoxville, defender Moses Mensah from the Birmingham Legion, and prolific forward Lucca Dourado.
With such little time until the season kicks off, it puts many players in a tough bind to find a new club. However, the USL has implemented a rule to try and solve that problem. If a current USL League One club would like to sign an international player released by the Tormenta, it will not cost them an international roster slot to do so. This eases the signing process for 13 of the 17 players previously signed for the 2026 season, including Dourado, long time captain Conor Doyle, forward Yaniv Bazini, and Trinidad and Tobago international right back Shannon Gomez.
In the upcoming weeks, an announcement is expected from the USL in conjunction with the Tormenta that gives clarification on the timeline for the club’s return and the future of Tormenta Stadium.
While the current mood in the soccer community may be depressing after today’s announcement, local fans should not be discouraged. There will be a lot of positive surprises in the upcoming announcement, and supporters may believe it will feel like 2017 again.
This is a developing story, check back for future updates.
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