NAPLES, Fla. — If there were a vidiprinter humming away in southwest Florida on Saturday night, it would have chimed in rather cheerfully: “Goal at Paradise Coast Sports Complex… and it’s for Naples!” ⚽
FC Naples opened their 2026 campaign in confident fashion, defeating Fort Wayne FC 2–0 in front of a lively home crowd of just over 4,000 fans who had turned up hoping for goals, sunshine, and perhaps a little early-season optimism. They were not disappointed.
For much of the evening the match ticked along like a typical season opener — energetic, occasionally scrappy, and filled with players still shaking off the winter rust. But just before halftime, the moment the home crowd had been waiting for arrived.
Christopher Garcia popped up with the breakthrough, finishing neatly to send Naples into the interval 1–0 ahead, and if you’d been watching the imaginary vidiprinter it would have flashed:
“Naples 1 – 0 Fort Wayne… Garcia!”
The visitors from Indiana tried to muster a response in the second half, but clear chances were about as rare as a quiet afternoon on Transfer Deadline Day. Naples remained composed, organized, and perfectly happy to wait for the moment to seal it.
And seal it they did.
With just two minutes left on the clock, Dominick Bachstein struck to make it 2–0, prompting the sort of roar that suggests the locals quite fancy the look of this season already.
Full time then at Paradise Coast Sports Complex:
Naples 2 – 0 Fort Wayne.
Three points in the bag, a clean sheet for the defense, and a tidy start to life in the new campaign for Naples. As season openers go, the manager will take that all day long.
Next up, Naples remain at home, where they’ll hope the vidiprinter — imaginary or otherwise — keeps flashing their name in the goal column. ⚽📺