Savannah Clovers FC 2024 NISA Season Recap
A recap of the Savannah Clovers FC's 2024 NISA Season.
Head Coach: David Proctor
Venue: Memorial Stadium
2024 Regular Season: 5W-3D-12L, 18 pts, finished 4th in the NISA Eastern Conference
2024 Season Recap:
The Savannah Clovers FC finished its second season in the NISA league with a 4th place finish in the Eastern Conference with 18 points. In the club's first season in the league in 2023, the Clovers finished 8th in the NISA table with 19 points. If NISA had used a single table this season, the Clovers would be in 6th place. However, NISA shortened the 2024 season with a divisional format and fewer games (24 matches in the previous season before going with 20 matches in East and 18 in West this season). During the off-season, the Clovers added NISA veterans like Roddy Green, Kyle Nelson, Jedidiah McCloud, Vlad Jokic, and Cory Lundeen. The Clovers decided to bring in more NISA veterans this time around as opposed to signing more local talent, and the expectation for the club was to compete for the NISA playoffs, but the 2024 season ended up going in a different direction. The NISA league temporarily took over ownership of the club after its primary owner Mario Ferreira stepped away from the club during the off-season. The Clovers began the season winning its opening match in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, defeating Brave SC 2-0 before falling in the second round, losing 4-0 to South Georgia Tormenta FC. The Clovers opening match in NISA didn't go how they wanted, blowing a 2-0 lead late and losing 3-2 to the Michigan Stars FC on the road. It was a tough start for the Clovers as the club only won two out of its first eight matches. The club also dealt with financial issues regarding payment to its players, forfeiting two matches, and roster turnover throughout the season. Once the calendar turned to June, the Clovers lost to Maryland Bobcats FC twice, Georgia FC, and got a draw against the Michigan Stars FC. However, the Clovers won two consecutive matches that month, defeating Club de Lyon FC and Georgia FC. In July, the Clovers breeze past UPSL side Kalonji Pro Profile in its opening match in the NISA Independent Cup but fell in round 2 to UPSL side SC United Heat 4-1 on the road. Their captain, Cameron Schneider, announced his retirement midway in the second half of the season. The Clovers went on a 5-match winless streak before Savannah snapped that with a 4-0 win over Georgia FC on September 14. The Clovers forfeited their final match of the season to the Michigan Stars FC and finished 4th in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of their Georgia Derby rivals, Georgia FC. Despite having a lean roster at times, the Clovers found a hidden gem moving up Max Wilkins as he played well down the stretch and scored a hat trick in their final home match against Georgia FC in September. Wilkins, alongside Lester Hayes and Roddy Green, finished tied as the top goal scorers for Savannah last season with four a piece.
Offseason Updates
The Clovers off-season has been quiet since their season ended last September. We know the main issue heading into this off-season for them was sorting out their ownership situation. In a recent interview on BT90, Kartik and Calum asked NISA Commissioner John Prutch for any updates on Savannah Clovers FC's ownership situation in part 2 of their interview series. Commissioner Prutch stated that the league is in the final stages of securing new ownership for the club, but nothing has been finalized yet. I'll keep you posted on that if anything changes. Besides that, the Clovers have recently added a new sponsor. Forward Roddy Green announced his retirement from professional soccer after a stellar career with clubs such as Detroit City FC, Chattanooga FC, Gold Star FC Detroit, and the Savannah Clovers. Defender Kyle Nelson has also moved on to the coaching ranks as he has returned to Rochester, NY, and will be an assistant coach with Flower City 1872 (Flower City Union women's team). Nelson was also part of Flower City Union's 2023 NISA Championship title run. The Clovers will have some big holes to fill on their roster this off-season with the recent Green, Schneider, and Nelson departures.
What are your thoughts on the Savannah Clovers FC's 2024 season in NISA? Let me know in the comments section below.