FC Naples Clinches Playoff Spot in Inaugural Season With 4-0 Statement Win

The debut season for FC Naples has already become a storybook — and Saturday night, the newest club in USL League One added its most dramatic chapter yet, and we were there.

Under the lights at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Naples stormed into the postseason with a 4-0 demolition of AV Alta FC, clinching a playoff berth in their very first campaign. The victory not only secured history — Naples is now just the third club to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year — but also sent more than 3,000 fans into a full-throated celebration that felt like a coronation.

It started with a flash of brilliance. In the 28th minute, midfielder Jayden Onen broke free on goal, coolly slotting home his sixth strike of the season to ignite the crowd. The atmosphere swelled again just before halftime when Kevin O’Connor buried Naples’ second in the 47th minute, sending the team into the break with all the momentum.

The second half only added to the spectacle. Julian Cisneros’ tidy finish in the 58th and Ian Cerro’s composed strike in the 76th sealed the win, producing Naples’ highest-scoring output of the season — and perhaps its most complete performance to date.

On the other end, goalkeeper Lalo Delgado preserved the clean sheet with sharp reactions and one highlight-reel save in the first half, diving low to his right to deny what looked like a sure equalizer. It was the kind of stop that tilts playoff races — and seasons.

For head coach Mark Poland, the win was a moment to savor, but not to settle.

“It was an incredible performance,” Poland said afterward, his voice half-pride, half-warning. “At the same time, the one thing we can’t have is complacency. Whether we are peaking or not, it’s back to work. And it’s another game on the road this coming week that we have to re-prove ourselves again.”

O’Connor, whose goal widened the cushion, echoed the mindset.

“It’s massive for us to clinch it. That takes a little bit of pressure off now,” he said. “But our main focus now is to try to get a home game or finish in the top four. We’re thrilled to get a playoff spot to start, but we’re aiming higher.”

Naples’ surge to 44 points vaulted the club into third place in the standings with four regular-season matches left — including two more at home. A top-four finish would mean the playoffs return to Southwest Florida, something unthinkable just months ago when the club kicked its first ball.

But on Saturday night, the only thing that mattered was the here and now. Fans lingered long after the final whistle, waving scarves, chanting, and savoring the fact that a team in its very first year had already given Naples a taste of playoff soccer.

For a city new to the professional stage, the dream is alive — and just getting started.