FC Naples delivered a gritty, resilient performance Sunday evening at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, coming back from a goal down to earn a 1(3)-1(1) victory over USL Championship side Sporting Club Jacksonville in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Presented by the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee.
Sporting JAX opened the scoring in the 17th minute when #11 Ahmad Al-Qaq converted, assisted by #12 Edgardo Rito, putting the first-year USL Championship side ahead at the break. Despite sustained pressure and eight chances created, the equalizer proved elusive until the last moments of stoppage time.
In the 91st minute, #10 Andrés Ferrín drove into the Sporting JAX final third and played a perfectly weighted cutback behind the defenders, using their momentum against them. Defender #3 Julian Cisneros arrived at the far post to tap home and send FC Naples fans into a frenzy.
Cisneros described the moment postgame: “In that moment, I’m just trying to get my body in the box and get in a good spot. Ferrín did his job – he played me a great ball, a cutback behind the defenders, and used their momentum against them. It was a tap-in for me.”
With regulation ending 1-1, the match proceeded directly to a penalty shootout per Prinx Cup format. Head Coach Matt “Gaffa” Poland turned to #99 Joshua Grant – who had entered for captain #1 Edward “Lalo” Delgado in the 77th minute – to guard the net. Grant delivered, making a key save to help FC Naples claim a 3-1 shootout victory.