MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (Interstat) — South Georgia Tormenta FC opened its preseason campaign with a 2-1 victory over in-state rival Charleston Battery in a club friendly match on Tuesday afternoon at Patriots Point.

The match, part of a global slate of preseason exhibitions, saw Tormenta capitalize on an early goal and a second-half winner to overcome a Charleston equalizer and defy a pregame projection that heavily favored them.

Tormenta struck almost immediately, silencing the home crowd in just the third minute. Substitute forward Başar Önal, entering the match early, found the net to give the visitors a rapid 1-0 advantage. Charleston Battery settled into the match thereafter, controlling stretches of possession and searching for a response.

That response came five minutes into the second half. In the 50th minute, Charleston midfielder Willem den Dekker leveled the score at 1-1, converting a chance to energize the home supporters. The momentum shift was short-lived, however, as Tormenta reclaimed the lead for good 15 minutes later.

The 65th minute proved decisive. Another Tormenta substitute, defender Ahmetcan Kaplan, scored what stood as the winning goal, restoring his team’s advantage at 2-1. The assist on the play was credited to fellow substitute Brayann Pereira, whose involvement was later marred by a disciplinary action. Pereira received a yellow card in the 56th minute, just nine minutes before contributing to the critical goal.

Charleston Battery pressed for a second equalizer in the final 25 minutes but could not break through a organized Tormenta defense. The final whistle confirmed a season-opening victory for Tormenta in this competition and across all exhibitions, giving them a record of one win and no losses. Charleston Battery begins its preseason with a record of no wins and one loss in all competitions.

The result countered the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-2 draw, while the same service’s ELO rating system gave Tormenta a 68.4 percent probability of victory outright. Tormenta’s efficiency in front of goal, scoring twice from a limited number of clear chances, proved the difference.

The match served as a preparatory fixture for both USL Championship clubs, with Tormenta gaining a positive result against a conference foe and Charleston Battery seeking to build rhythm ahead of the upcoming competitive season.