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We’re halfway through the 2010 USL-2 season and there’s no use sugarcoating it: the Harrisburg City Islanders are having a season to forget. With a record of 1 win, 5 losses, and 3 ties, they sit dead last in the six-team league and trail the playoff contenders by three victories in the standings. While that might not seem like an insurmountable distance, keep in mind that only eleven games remain to make up the gap. A playoff push is not mathematically impossible, but Harrisburg probably will see its season end without a postseason appearance. What’s even more disconcerting is that this string of poor results began during the 2009 season. Harrisburg stumbled to a 1-6-2 record over the final 9 matches of 2009, meaning the club has a 2-11-5 mark during their past 18 games. How did this happen? How did a team that rolled through the early part of 2009 end up with such a prolonged string of poor performances?

First, Harrisburg has been unlucky with injuries. Soccer teams throughout the world struggle to field a deep roster and the City Islanders are no different. Too many Harrisburg players have wound up on the sidelines rather than the pitch, an unfortunate situation that has not allowed coach Bill Becher to consistently field his strongest lineup. Those missing action this season include: Nate Jafta (hamstring), Kai Kasiguran (groin), Mpho Moloi (hamstring), Brian Ombiji (quadriceps), Vince Petrasso (ribs), and David Schofield (leg).

In addition to injuries, another reason accounts for the high number of roster changes in Harrisburg: player loans. The City Islanders are an affiliate of the Philadelphia Union, and this relationship allows the MLS club to send players to Harrisburg "on loan," getting them match experience in the process. Teams from USL-1 also can loan players to the City Islanders, thus Shea Salinas, Toni Stahl, Nick Zimmerman (Philadelphia Union); Andrew Hoxie (Rochester Rhinos); Tiyi Shipalane and Sainey Touray (Carolina Railhawks) all have temporarily donned a Harrisburg jersey in 2010. While these arrangements can be beneficial in bringing talented players to the club, it also produces instability because of the short duration of loan spells, some of which last just one match. Soccer players need time to adjust to their teammates’ tendencies and playing styles, yet the City Islanders receive limited practice time with their "borrowed" teammates. J.T. Noone and Tyler Ruthven also signed after the season began, and thanks to the constant shuffling of lineups, Harrisburg has struggled to achieve continuity on the pitch. Twenty-five different players have taken the field for the City Islanders in 2010, a situation preventing cohesion and stability for the team.

Injuries and loans notwithstanding, this City Islanders team is not experienced enough to make a legitimate postseason run. The roster changed considerably in the offseason, with accomplished veterans Steve Fisher, Chase Harrison, Mo Odour, Chad Severs, and Tim Velten leaving Harrisburg. The players signed to replace these stalwarts boast impressive resumes but many of these accolades were achieved at the collegiate or PDL-levels. Young players Dominic Oppong, Anthony Di Biase, Nate Jafta, and Vince Petrasso have shown promise but have not been consistent performers due to injuries and other factors. Tishan Hanley and Sheanon Williams are younger still, only twenty years-old, and this collective inexperience has become noticeable as the City Islanders have failed to hold leads or convert advantages in possession to goals. They haven’t shown a capacity to close out matches—surrendering late goals against Richmond and Real Maryland—and have been unlucky with many scoring chances bouncing off the goalpost in virtually every game this season.

All told, this Harrisburg team does not possess the quality, battle-tested veterans of teams like the league-leading Charleston Battery. This is not a knock at returnees Dustin Bixler, Anthony Calvano, or Jason Pelletier, however only three players on this year’s roster registered a point with the club last season (Pelletier: 3 goals, 4 assists; Schofield: 1 goal, 1 assist; Calvano: 1 assist). Ultimately, the 2010 squad featured too many new faces, particularly on offense, to come together quickly enough in the short-season USL-2. Barring an extended string of victories, the City Islanders won’t reach the playoffs for just the second time in team history. Many of the stars who led Harrisburg to the playoffs the past few seasons are gone, and the players brought in to replace them haven’t been adequate thus far. Some of these newcomers have shown promise, such as Noone and Williams, but the front office overlooked the value of USL-2 experience in assembling the current roster. The City Islanders must continue to rebuild, a task that is not easy at the USL-2 level, where salaries and budgets are low and young players who show promise are gobbled up by MLS or USL-1 teams. This doesn’t mean you should avoid the Skyline Sports Complex this summer, Harrisburg games are affordable and the team has some exciting young talent, but don’t expect too many wins for the home team.

Throw-Ins

• The City Islanders (1-5-3, 6 points) earned a draw and a loss during their Carolina road-trip this weekend. Loan player Sainey Touray scored in the team’s 1-1 tie at Charleston (6-2-3, 21 points) on Friday night, while Dominic Oppong tallied during the 2-1 loss at Charlotte (4-3-2, 14 points) the following night. Nate Jafta, Vince Petrasso, and David Schofield all suffered injuries in the weekend’s matches. Harrisburg hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, with former City Islander great Chad Severs, on Friday, June 11.

• Reading United AC keeps rolling along in the PDL, crushing the Carolina Dynamo 4-1 on Saturday night at Exeter High School’s Don Thomas Stadium. Luke Mulholland, Billy Schuler, Levi Houapeu, and an own goal accounted for Reading’s scores. They have now outscored their opponents 18-2 and sit atop the Mid-Atlantic Division with 19 points and a 6-0-1 record. The club returns to action on Sunday, June 13 when they host the Ironbound Express (4-0-1, 13 points), the division’s second-place team.

• The pairings for the U.S. Open Cup First Round were announced last week and two local clubs will host matches on Tuesday, June 15 respectively: the Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) visit the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) while Reading United (PDL) will host Real Maryland (USL-2). With qualification over, the U.S. Open Cup moves into a single elimination format for the remainder of the tournament.

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