FC Naples clinches playoff berth with dramatic 1-0 win over Spokane Velocity FC
Andrés Ferrín delivers stoppage-time winner as FC Naples advances to face top-seeded Charlotte Independence in USL League One Playoffs
An electric crowd of 3,217 packed Paradise Coast Sports Complex Saturday night, fueled by the drums and chants of the club’s supporters group, La Barra 239. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, substitute #10 Andrés Ferrín delivered, burying a right-footed shot from outside the box. The strike lifted FC Naples to a 1-0 victory over Spokane Velocity FC and punched the club’s ticket to the USL League One Playoffs for the second straight season.
The win, FC Naples’ sixth straight, lifts the club into eighth place in the final regular-season standings and sets up a playoff showdown with top-seeded Charlotte Independence in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The night carried meaning beyond the scoreboard as FC Naples hosted Breast Cancer Awareness Night, presented by LMCU. Players took the field in pink kits, and Southwest Florida fans answered the call by filling the stands in pink, creating a sea of support for those affected by breast cancer.
During halftime, LMCU donated $5,000 to support the outreach and community-building efforts of Naples Cancer Advisors. It created a fitting backdrop for one of the most memorable finishes in club history and a night that Naples will never forget.
For more than 90 minutes, the match was a tense, back-and-forth battle between two teams with everything on the line. FC Naples came close in the 30th minute when #14 Kevin O’Connor rattled the right post with a left-footed strike, and Spokane goalkeeper Sean Lewis turned away efforts from #21 Marc Torrellas, #3 Julian Cisneros and #9 Gio Miglietti after the break.
At the other end, captain and goalkeeper #1 Edward “Lalo” Delgado kept FC Naples alive, making six saves, including back-to-back stops on Neco Brett in the 83rd minute and a save on a Camron Miller header in stoppage time, just moments before the decisive goal.
The breakthrough came from the bench. Ferrín, who entered in the 56th minute, collected a pass from fellow substitute #8 Juan Osorio and drove his shot into the bottom left corner, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. The goal was Ferrín’s team-leading seventh of the season.
“This last week, we’ve been talking about the difference between impossible and unforgettable,” said Head Coach Zak Gordon. “We’d already done something everybody said was impossible, which was even having a chance at sniffing the playoffs. The message has really been: Can we do something unforgettable, which is crawl back over this final stretch, win all these games and actually make it?”
Behind Gordon’s leadership, FC Naples closed the regular season unbeaten in its final eight league matches, winning six in a row to climb into the playoff picture after a challenging midseason stretch.
“From where we were to where we are now, I think he can be extremely proud of what he brought to this group,” O’Connor said of Gordon and the coaching staff. “He brought us belief. He brought that passion back. Coach and the staff believed in us, and thankfully we repaid them.”
Now FC Naples turns its attention to Charlotte Independence, which finished atop the USL League One standings with 66 points. Charlotte claimed both regular-season meetings in June, but FC Naples heads north as one of the hottest teams in the league.
“If we’re going to go out and win it, we beat the best team in the league right now, right?” Delgado said. “And I think we’re hot. They probably don’t want to face us. We obviously respect the opponent, but we’re coming in with our heads high as well.”
About FC Naples
FC Naples is Southwest Florida’s first professional soccer team, based at the state-of-the-art Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida. In its inaugural 2025 USL League One season, the club finished fourth in the regular season standings and qualified for the playoffs. The club’s mission is to create a world-class family experience and forge a title-contending team to be the pride of Southwest Florida. FC Naples’ crest, colors, and culture reflect the community’s rich history of strength and resilience, as well as a deep connection to the beaches and waterways that have shaped the region. Learn more at FCNaples.com.