Match Preview: Louisville City FC at Harrisburg City Islanders

Game: Louisville City FC at Harrisburg City Islanders

Date: Friday, April 22

Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: FNB Field

Referees: REF: CORSON FIDLER, AR1: Ben Pilgrim, AR2: Terrence Mull, 4TH: Brandon Smith

Television: None

Streaming:

The Harrisburg City Islanders will play their first home game of the 2016 season on Friday against Eastern Conference rival Louisville City FC.

The City Islanders started the season with three away games at Richmond, Charlotte, and Orlando City where they went 1-2-0 (W-L-T). Harrisburg will look to continue their momentum from last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Orlando as they return to Pennsylvania.

Louisville City travels to Harrisburg after a strong 3-2 win over FC Cincinnati in Ohio on Saturday. Louisville sits at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a 3-1-0 record in their first four matches of the season.

City forward Chandler Hoffman leads the league with four goals. Hoffman was a member of the Philadelphia Union in 2012, where he spent time on loan at Harrisburg. He plays at the top of a 4-2-3-1 formation that is averaging two goals per game this season.

Louisville like to play the ball up the wings and make crosses into the center of the field. The City Islanders defense struggled against the Charlotte Independence when they utilized the wings in their attack. If Harrisburg can correct these problems, they may be able to shut down Louisville’s high-flying offense.

The match Friday will be Harrisburg’s first match played at FNB Field, a baseball park that is home to the Harrisburg Senators. In January, the City Islanders announced that they would be playing their home matches at FNB Park and Clipper Magazine Stadium (Lancaster, PA) instead of Skyline Sports Complex.

Located next to Skyline on Harrisburg’s City Island, FNB Field seats over 6,000 and will feature a full-size soccer field. Fans can look forward to a general admission section for supporters and a player autograph location after the match.