The stadium that houses the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer League does not need replacing out of vanity, but necessity.

On May 13, the USL designated the global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK the "Official Stadium Design Partner" of the league. The goal is to get all USL teams in soccer-specific stadiums by 2020, and to have all clubs playing in stadiums with a minimum capacity of 5,000 by 2017.

Skyline Sports Complex, which takes up the third of City Island furthest from the Walnut Street Bridge and sits adjacent to the third-base line of Metro Bank Park, will not pass USL standards.

More than 2,000 spectators came out to watch the Islanders drop a 4-0 decision to the Charleston Battery Wednesday night, but the 4,000-capacity stadium currently seats just 2,500 on backless bleachers. The rest of the spectators lean against metal railings in "Socceritaville," and others find a spot in foldable lawn chairs next to the wooden press box.

There are no set restrooms, no running water and no official locker rooms. Visiting teams and the Islanders change in blue-gray trailers behind the field and meet with fans outside the shed that houses the concession stands.

"You see the type of crowds that we get here, and we have the worst stadium in the league," goalie Nick Noble said.

As the Islanders await the status of a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant application to the state, the future of the team as a continued affiliate for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union was brought into question.

Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz told the Morning Call this week: "The Union has been awesome and we're looking to launch a minor league team next year and we're looking for a home for them. And the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area is an area we're looking at as well as others. The whole sport, in general, is growing and expanding."

The possibility of the Union breaking off and creating their own minor league team is something that's been in talks for six to nine months, Islanders CFO Eric Pettis said.

The Islanders-Union affiliation created five years ago changed the landscape of the USL. But as both clubs grew and soccer's participation numbers, ticket sales and viewership increased, splits in the philosophy between the two organizations became more apparent.

It's a question of whether the priority is winning, or the priority is developing the sport. Another minor league team in Pennsylvania would put more fans closer to professional soccer; it would also likely give the Union more access to a feeder team and the ability to directly develop their players.

Regardless, Pettis isn't concerned about the ability of his team to survive as a USL squad without a major league affiliate. His priority is keeping the Islanders in central Pennsylvania in a league-compliant stadium. A move to Nashville or the Lehigh Valley has been mentioned, but the organization's top choice is to stay here, Pettis said.

"We've looked around, but at the end of the day, we really want to be here," he said.

The team's parent company, Harrisburg Capital Soccer Inc., submitted an application for a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the state five days after the USL announced their new standards.

The Harrisburg City Islanders Multi-Use Stadium project would require $13.9 million, and the organization is requesting $5 million from grant funding and will provide a match in non-state funds. The new stadium would include seats for 5,000, a VIP area, a new broadcasting booth and scoreboard, entrance plaza and individual locker rooms, among another amenities.

If anything, the current layout of Skyline adds the community atmosphere encouraged by the Islanders in their 12th season as a USL team. Youth soccer players practice headers behind the Weis banners to the right of the far goal, the announcer playfully ribs the players in the waning minutes and fans regularly wait amongst the swarming mayflies to greet players after the game.

But Skyline is by far the least updated stadium in a league of bigger market teams like Charleston, Richmond, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Charlotte.

All applications for the RACP grant are still being reviewed, according to the Office of Communications for the Governor's Office, and there are no formal decisions yet on any sort of timetable for approval.