NAPLES, FL (June 3, 2026) – The Charlotte Independence extended their winning streak to five league matches Wednesday night, cruising to a 5-1 victory over FC Naples in Florida.
It was a dominant night for the Jacks, matching their largest margin of victory this season with their victory in the home opener against Spokane Velocity on March 27. Luis Alvarez continued his remarkable run of form with a two-goal performance, while Prince Saydee, Souaibou Marou, and Jon Bakero each found the back of the net for the second consecutive match. Christopher Jaime also played a key role in the attack, recording two assists.
The win was not only the fifth straight in USL League One for Charlotte, but also moves the team to eight unbeaten in all competitions and into third place in the league table.
The first test for Matt Levy came in the seventh minute against dangerous winger Taylor Gray. The attacker drove at Charlotte’s back line and cut onto his left foot before unleashing a shot that forced Levy into a diving save.
The quick, incisive passing that has fueled Charlotte’s attack throughout the 2026 campaign was on full display in the 13th minute. After sustained pressure in the final third, Enzo Martinez’s strike struck an FC Naples defender’s arm just outside the penalty area, earning the Jacks a dangerous free kick opportunity.
Saydee made no mistake. The winger stepped up and curled a brilliant left-footed effort into the top corner, giving Charlotte an early lead and scoring for the second consecutive matches.
Brimming with confidence after scoring his first league goal at Chattanooga, Marou nearly doubled Charlotte’s lead in the 20th minute. The forward unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards out, but goalkeeper Lalo Delgado reacted well to push it away.
Less than a minute later, Levy came up with another important save. In-form striker William Arevalo collected the ball on the half-turn and fired a low volley toward the bottom corner, forcing Levy into a sharp stop down to his left.
The Jacks doubled their advantage in sensational fashion in the 31st minute. Jaime sparked the move, beating his defender in his own half before driving forward into space. The midfielder then slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Marou, who timed his run across the back line to perfection. The forward did the rest, rifling his finish past Delgado to score in a second consecutive match alongside Saydee.
FC Naples looked for a response in the 36th minute. Andrés Ferrín came inches away from cutting the deficit in half, unleashing a powerful strike from distance that crashed off the crossbar.
Charlotte’s outstanding first half got even better three minutes later. Jaime found Alvarez in space, and the Naples defense hesitated to close him down. The in-form Honduran made them pay, driving a bouncing effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards out to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Independence picked up right where they left off after halftime, adding a fourth goal early in the second half. Once again, Charlotte’s crisp passing carved open the Naples defense, with Saydee slipping a ball through to an overlapping Clay Dimick. Dimick’s low cross rolled through the box to Alvarez, who calmly took a touch and picked out the side netting beyond a diving Lalo Delgado. The midfielder now has seven goal contributions (five goals, two assists) in his last five matches in all competitions.
Levy answered the call again in the 52nd minute. Gray laid the ball off to Dominick Bachstein, who looked destined to pull one back with a well-placed effort toward the bottom corner. The Charlotte goalkeeper had other ideas, diving at full stretch to preserve the clean sheet.
Not to be outdone by Saydee and Marou, who had both scored in consecutive matches, Bakero joined the party in the 71st minute. Saydee patiently waited for an opening before slipping a dangerous ball into the box. Christy Manzinga smartly dummied the pass, allowing it to run through to Bakero, who made no mistake and buried his finish to extend Charlotte’s lead to 5-0.
FC Naples spoiled the shutout in the 79th minute. Hudson Gay found space at the back post after slipping behind the Charlotte defense and made the most of the opportunity, hammering home a volley for his first professional goal.
The Jacks saw the rest of the match, walking out of Florida with three more points and loads of momentum into next week’s clash with league leaders Union Omaha at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
POST-GAME SOUND
Head Coach Mike Jeffries on the goal-scoring outburst:
“The first goal comes from pressure, winning the ball, and getting a shot off near the top of the box. Then it’s a fantastic free kick from Prince. It was a great way for us to start and gave us a big confidence boost. The next two goals came at a time when, in some ways, the first half was fairly even in terms of movement and possession, but we were very dangerous when we got our chances. It’s a really good pass from Jaime to Souaibou after a great turn in midfield, and then some excellent individual effort and a quality finish from Souaibou. The third goal also comes from pressure and forcing a mistake. We turn it into a counterattack and get a good finish. Walking into halftime up 3-0 obviously felt very good, but we tried to remind the group that Naples had pushed us and done a good job in stretches as well. It was nice to come out in the second half, manage the game early, and then getting the fourth goal really solidified things for us.”
Jeffries on Luis Alvarez’s recent form:
“He covers so much ground on the field and has a tremendous work rate defensively. Even today, some of his chances came from pressure. On one of his goals, he helps create the play, then makes a hard run into the box to finish it. I think he’s putting himself in dangerous spots more often than he was previously, especially in the areas where goals are scored. His finishing has improved as well. He’s worked on that part of his game, and you can see a marked difference in his ability to strike the ball and finish chances.”
Luis Alvarez on his current play:
“To be honest, I am very happy with the great season I am having. I hope to keep it up—to continue scoring goals and providing assists to my teammates. We are doing a great job as a team, and we hope to keep it that way.”
Prince Saydee on the team’s run of form:
“I would describe this group with simply two words – togetherness and consistency.”
Christopher Jaime on the clear fun the team is having right now:
“This group in the locker room and on the field is something special. Everyone works for each other and we have that special bond that’s showing on the pitch right now. You see it in the football we’re playing and the celebrations after the goals.”
