Henderlong and Conway Strike Before Halftime as Rowdies Blank FC Naples 2-0 in USL Cup
Karsen Henderlong and Evan Conway scored three minutes apart late in the first half as the Tampa Bay Rowdies beat FC Naples 2-0 to finish the USL Cup group stage unbeaten.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rowdies had nothing left to win in the group stage on Saturday night. They played like they did anyway. Karsen Henderlong and Evan Conway scored three minutes apart late in the first half, and the Rowdies beat USL League One side FC Naples 2-0 at Al Lang Stadium to close out the Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage unbeaten.
Tampa Bay had already clinched first place in Group 7 and a spot in the quarterfinals before kickoff. Coming off a league loss to Lexington the week before, though, head coach Dominic Casciato's team wanted a response, and it got one.
The Rowdies had won their first three group matches against Sarasota Paradise, Sporting JAX and Miami by a combined 8-1, according to the club's preview, and they entered the night 9-2-4 in league play and first in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference. Naples came in 5-10-2 and 13th in USL League One. The teams had met twice before, both times in Naples in 2025: a 2-0 Tampa Bay win in the USL Cup and a 1-1 draw in the U.S. Open Cup that the Rowdies won on penalties.
A Rough Start, Then Control
The night started badly for the hosts. Center back Leland Archer was hurt in the opening seconds and had to come off, with Nate Dossantos replacing him in the third minute, according to the club.
Naples arrived in unusual circumstances of its own. RBLR Sports reported that the club dismissed manager and sporting director Matt Poland right before the match, leaving interim manager Zak Gordon in charge on the touchline.
The visitors competed, but Tampa Bay had more of the ball and most of the chances. The Rowdies finished with 56.4 percent of possession and 15 shots to Naples' seven, according to the club's match stats. Naples goalkeeper Joshua Grant kept the score level for 40 minutes.
Two Goals in Three Minutes
The breakthrough came from a set piece. In the 41st minute Marco Micaletto delivered a free kick and Henderlong rose to meet it, redirecting the ball past Grant for a 1-0 lead.
Three minutes later it was 2-0. Isaiah LeFlore tested Grant with a shot from outside the box, Pedro Dolabella pounced on the rebound and centered it, and Conway, completely unmarked, finished in the 44th minute. It was Conway's third goal of the year and his first since April 4, according to the Rowdies.
"That's huge for the team to get that second goal in the first half," Conway said, according to the club. On the long wait between goals, he added: "Sometimes it happens in your career where it's just not falling for you."
Seeing It Out
Tampa Bay finished with nine shots on target, and Grant made seven saves to keep the margin at two. At the other end, Naples managed just one shot on target all night, and Jahmali Waite saved it as the Rowdies posted their third shutout of the tournament.
It was a physical night. The referee showed six yellow cards, three to each side, and the Rowdies were whistled for 23 fouls to Naples' 13, according to the club's stats. Defender Gennaro Nigro made his Rowdies debut in the final 15 minutes, becoming the 21st player to debut for the club this season.
Casciato liked how his team responded after the first-half hydration break. "I thought the intensity and the urgency and the aggression we showed is everything we're supposed to be about," he said, according to the club.
Eyes on the Cup
The Rowdies are treating the competition seriously. "You're in a cup competition to try and win a cup. Otherwise, why bother participating," Casciato said. "Anyone can win the cup."
Midfielder Lewis Hilton framed the win as a reset after the Lexington result. "It was just about our mentality coming off a disappointing result last week," he said, according to the Rowdies. Looking ahead, he added simply: "It's exciting, knockout football."
Tampa Bay advances to the single-elimination quarterfinals on August 12, with pairings and hosting rights set by a random draw on Monday. Before that, the Rowdies return to USL Championship play at Loudoun United FC on Saturday, July 18.
With the win, the Rowdies finished the group stage four-for-four and outscored their opponents 10-1 across those matches, the kind of tune-up a team with real cup ambitions wants heading into August.
Photo Credit: Samantha Diane/Undrafted
