While many may consider teams such as D.C. United or New York Red Bulls as the most bitter of rivals to the Philadelphia Union, a familiar USL club is eager to make its own claim to this title.
City Islanders FC and Philadelphia Union share a strong history, dating back to the first days of the Union’s inception in 2010. Harrisburg had been the USL affiliate to the Union for six, long years until this past offseason. That is when Union decided to launch a club at the USL level in which they would independently own and operate – ultimately Bethlehem Steel FC.