Orlando City escaped Southwest Florida with a 1-0 win over FC Naples on Wednesday night in U.S. Open Cup play, but the score only tells part of the story. Tyrese Spicer gave Orlando the lead in the 18th minute with a long-range strike, and that ended up being the difference in a match where FC Naples kept growing into it and made life uncomfortable for the MLS side.
What will stand out most from Naples’ side of the night was how close they came to changing it. FC Naples pushed hard in the second half and had what was described as a sure goal denied when Orlando rookie center back Nolan Miller cleared the ball off the line, preserving the Lions’ advantage. Even in defeat, Naples showed real fight and proved they were more than capable of making an MLS opponent sweat.
For Orlando City, the mission was simply to survive and advance, and they did that. For FC Naples, this felt like a performance that still said a lot. They did not look overmatched, they created danger, and they nearly found the moment that could have changed the match completely.
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