The Philadelphia Union and Harrisburg City Islanders meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at Hersheypark Stadium in a friendly, two weeks before they will have a rematch with higher stakes in the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, June 26.
The two teams are affiliated, and Union assistant coach John Hackworth told MLSSoccer.com he wishes they wouldn't have to play so early in the U.S. Open Cup.
"I think we're both feeling that it's unfortunate that we're meeting in the quarterfinals," assistant coach John Hackworth told MLSsoccer.com. "We wish US Soccer would have maybe looked at that affiliation a little more closely and not put us in the bracket where we could have played each other. But at the end of the day, you've got to beat everybody to get to the trophy, so it is what it is."
Despite Harrisurg City's status as a USL Pro team, the Islanders have already downed two MLS teams, the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls, this season.