USL side Naples gives Orlando City all they can handle

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·17 avril 2026

USL side Naples gives Orlando City all they can handle

At one point in the award-winning film Coal Miner’s Daughter, Doolittle Lynn (played by Tommy Lee Jones) turns to Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) and says, ”You might have found something that you know how to do.”

After a horrific start to the 2026 soccer season, so have the players of Orlando City SC in the U.S. Open Cup. It’s a tournament they’ve won in the past. This time, they’ll have a chance to remember the taste of winning.

In their latest run in the U.S. Open Cup, Orlando City kept nursing a winning streak that spanned all competitions. In 2025, they advanced all the way to the Round of 16, where Nashville SC ended their streak at 12 matches.

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But at that point, they had equaled the club’s streak in 2020. They’d provided supporters with a tournament to remember, following anger over boycotts from the previous season, when MLS reduced participation in the U.S. Open Cup.

This year, to begin the Open Cup, they met FC Naples, one of the strongest League One squads. They looked it, too.

They played at home before 4,782 spectators, which set their attendance record. Any MLS squad facing a USL team should expect to get set on the pitch and begin raining goals. But FC Naples pushed hard on Orlando City.

Apr 15, 2026; Naples, FL, USA; Naples FC forward Andres Ferrin runs the ball against Orlando City during the first half during the US Open Cup at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

The Naples side went full-time with 20 shots, eight on target, plus eight corner kicks. They fell 1-0 on a long line drive from Tyrese Spicer in the 18th minute. He was assisted by Braian Ojeda.

But Naples worked hard to leave with at least a draw. Despite a favored back-five formation by the Lions, one of their top scorers fought through early in the match. He fired a screaming direct shot that, somehow, goalkeeper Javier Otero absorbed.

The USL club continued working Otero hard. But he stood tall in only his second U.S. Open Cup start.

Once again, Orlando City SC has advanced to the U.S. Cup Round of 16. This time, they hope to rise and move beyond. We’ll find out if they, like Loretta Lynn, might have found something they know how to do.