On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, the Harrisburg City Islanders hosted the Long Island Rough Riders in the second round o f the U.S. Cup tournament. The winner of the game would move on to the third round of the tournament and the loser would be eliminated. During the game, the two teams seemed to be on equal footing but the City Islanders were simply able to take advantage of more opportunities. The City Islanders took the victory by a score of 2-0.
During the first half of the game, neither team managed to score despite the major effort made by both teams. The Rough Riders had some injuries that impacted their performance. It was only in the second that the City Islanders got the victory. Yann Ekra got the first goal of the game just minutes into the second half. Brian Ombiji secured the team's lead with a second goal. The game would end just like that with the City Islanders winning.
Fans may remember a similar match that was held in 2010. That year, the Long Island Rough Riders had also been eliminated from the same tournament by the Harrisburg City Islanders. The City Islanders then defeated the New York Red Bulls and were the top USL Pro team in the tournament. The team won a prize for the accomplishment as well as bragging rights.
In round three of the tournament, the City Islanders will be facing the New England Revolution. The Revolution are a Major League Soccer team. Currently the team is in the middle of the Eastern Conference of the MLS with a record of 4-6-1. Though the team will be difficult to beat, the City Islanders have been playing well and the team may surprise everyone. This game will be hosted by the City Islanders on Thursday, May 29, 2012. The losing team will be eliminated from the tournament while the winning team will move on to the next round.
For fans who want to see more of the City Islanders, the team will next be playing on Friday, May 25, 2012 against the Rochester Rhinos. The game will be held at the Skyline Sports Complex on City Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Rhinos are currently undefeated but have one tie in seven games. Though the City Islanders have a record of 2-1-3, the team will likely have momentum from the victory over the Rough Riders.
