One Knox Can’t Break Through in Draw with FC Naples

USL LEAGUE ONE MATCHDAY 25	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
FC NAPLES (8-14-3 | 27 PTS)	0	0	0
ONE KNOXVILLE SC (12-5-8 | 44 PTS)	0	0	0

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For a team that has often shown a flair for the dramatics this season, One Knoxville SC seemingly grabbed a win right before the final whistle once again. Unfortunately the ruling did not go in the home side’s favor and in the end, Knoxville is left wondering what could have been following.a scoreless draw with FC Naples on Friday at Covenant Health Park.

“It’s the worst that we have played in a very long time and I take full responsibility,” Head Coach Ian Fuller said. “The way we set up in the first half was not the right way, and the spaces on the field, we didn’t use them enough. When that happens you use so much energy to correct it, that when you need it in the end, there just wasn’t enough of it.”

While the draw does see One Knox push its current unbeaten streak to seven games, Fuller is well aware that these recent draws – now five in the previous six matches – needed to be the full three points if the squad has ambitions of winning a second consecutive Players’ Shield and be in position to host in the upcoming playoffs.

With seven matches remaining in the 2026 USL League One season, Knoxville holds 44 points and is in a tight race for the top four in the standings.

“We have high standards here, so this is a big disappointment tonight,” Fuller explained. “This was an opportunity for us. Our goal is to win the league and we’re slipping behind, so I want our players to feel this disappointment and respond.”

It appeared that forward Babacar Diene met those lofty standards, as well as the moment, as the veteran forward ripped a ball into the back of the net from close range off of a Teddy Baker free kick in fifth minute of second half stoppage time.

The crowd of over 4,000 was sent into a frenzy as Diene and the rest of his teammates raced to the corner flag, only for the offsides flag to be shown with the officials saying John Murphy Jr. impeded Naples goalkeeper Edward Delgado.

“I didn’t really see it from our bench,” Fuller said of the sequence and subsequent call. “We’ll take a look at it, but if (the officials) saw it, then they saw it.”

The erased match-winner was a particularly tough pill to swallow for One Knox, who thought it had finally beaten Delgado, who finished the match with nine saves on the night.

Diene looked to get the best of the goalkeeper in the 90th minute when he was sprung free in the box from a Dani Fernandez backheeled pass. Falling to the ground, Diene was still able to get some power behind his left-footed shot, only for Delgado to palm it away. A follow-up attempt from Mikkel Gøling hit the post with the ball falling back to Diene, who headed it just over the crossbar.

It was that kind of frustrating night for a One Knox side that had a game-high 30 touches in the opposing box on 74 final third entries and 62.6% of possession.

“There were times (where we created good chances),” noted Fuller. “But the lack of quality, the lack of decisiveness and a little bit lack of desire is what’s bothering me right now.”

On the other end, One Knox goalkeeper Jonathan Burke notched his first start in USL1 play this season with regular starter Johan Garibay unavailable. The 2026 US Open Cup hero passed the test with four saves on the night.

“I was really pleased with him,” said Fuller. “He came up big for us late when we were really pushing up the field and at times we got a little too long and too detached where he was a bit exposed, but he handled those situations well. I thought he was fantastic.”

Having signed with Knoxville last month, defender Beckham Uderitz received his sixth appearance for the club and his fourth start, playing the full 90 minutes for the first time. It was also a particularly special evening for the 23-year-old left back as he played opposite his older brother, Hal Uderitz, who started on the backline for Naples.

NEXT UP
Following just one match in Tennessee, One Knoxville SC hits back out on the road for a pair of matches. The squad will visit the new Ruoff Mortgage Stadium for the first time next Wednesday when it faces Fort Wayne FC, before heading to Nebraska to face Union Omaha on Saturday, September 19. Knoxville returns to Covenant Health Park on Sunday, September 27 against Westchester SC (tickets). The match will be broadcasted on ESPN2 in what will be the first ever sporting event nationally televised at Covenant Health Park.