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Shown addressing the gathering at the Harrisburg City Islanders' season-opening press conference, CEO/majority owner Eric Pettis was the first USL PRO executive to have his club finalize an affiliation with a Major League Soccer franchise. While USL PRO and MLS are in Year 2 of their partnership, the City Islanders and Philadelphia Union are working on their fifth season together.

(Joe Hermitt, PennLive.com)

Rather rapidly, too.

So when the City Islanders' lengthy association with the Philadelphia Union became official last season — as part of USL PRO's emerging partnership with MLS — groups in Orlando (Kansas City), Richmond (D.C. United) and Rochester (New England) promptly found affiliations of their own.

While receiving loaned players from big-league squads was merely one significant part of the arrangement, games against MLS reserve teams that counted in the USL PRO standings was another part that impacted clubs at both levels.

Well, guess what?

The USL PRO-MLS partnership has grown significantly since last season as 10 USL PRO clubs have formed affiliations. Plus, the Los Angeles Galaxy will field a USL PRO side (L.A. Galaxy II) that will be rostered with reserves and academy players.

Only Arizona, Charlotte and Orange County will not be affiliated with MLS clubs during the 2014 campaign. Those games between USL PRO teams and MLS reserve teams — MLS clubs that don't have affiliations — also will continue.

Shown here, defender Sheanon Williams has become a fixture at right back for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union after spending the 2010 USL PRO campaign with the Harrisburg City Islanders.

And by the time the 2015 season rolls around, all 21 MLS franchises must locate an affiliation or place their own club in USL PRO. With USL PRO expanding to Colorado Springs and Tulsa next season — and possibly Detroit — that shouldn't be difficult even with Orlando moving to MLS and Charlotte shifting to the PDL.

That said, here are the USL PRO-MLS affiliations for 2014:

City Islanders-Philadelphia

Charleston-Vancouver

Dayton-Columbus

L.A. Galaxy II-Los Angeles

Oklahoma City-Kansas City

Orlando-Kansas City

Pittsburgh-Houston

Richmond-D.C.

Rochester-New England

Sacramento-Portland and San Jose

Wilmington-Toronto

FORMER CITY ISLANDERS DOT USL PRO/NASL/MLS ROSTERS

Here's a list of former Harrisburg City Islanders players who opened the season on other USL PRO rosters:

Arizona — Tyler Ruthven, Brandon Swartzendruber

Charlotte — Bilal Duckett, Drew Yates

L.A. Galaxy II — Chandler Hoffman (was on loan from Philadelphia)

Pittsburgh — Jose Angulo, Andrew Marshall

Wilmington — Brian Ackley

Here's a list of former Harrisburg City Islanders players who opened the season on North American Soccer League rosters:

Carolina — Tiyiselani Shipalane, Nick Zimmerman (was on loan from Philadelphia)

Shown last season scoring one of his 13 goals for the Harrisburg City Islanders, Lucky Mkosana is in his first full season with the NASL's Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Edmonton — Milton Blanco

Minnesota — Greg Jordan (was on loan from Philadelphia)

Ottawa — Kenny Caceros, Tom Heinemann (was on loan from Charleston), Nicki Paterson

San Antonio — Sainey Touray

Tampa Bay — Lucky Mkosana

Here's a list of former Harrisburg City Islanders players who opened the season on Major League Soccer rosters — but aren't on loan to Harrisburg:

D.C. — Conor Shanosky (was on loan from D.C.)

Montreal — Jack McInerney (was on loan from Philadelphia)

Philadelphia — Leo Fernandes (was on loan from Philadelphia), Brian Holt, Antoine Hoppenot (was on loan from Philadelphia), Aaron Wheeler (was on loan from Philadelphia), Sheanon Williams

San Jose — Shea Salinas (was on loan from Philadelphia)

Toronto — Ryan Richter (was on loan from Philadelphia)

ODDS AND ENDS

* USL PRO clubs will play 28 regular-season matches, 14 at home and 14 away.

* Identical to last season, the top eight teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the USL PRO playoffs. Those playoffs will begin the weekend of the September 12-14 and will conclude September 26-28. All series will feature a single-game knockout format with the higher seed hosting.

* The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will begin May 1-7 with a series of play-in games.

* USL PRO rosters will be frozen on August 19.

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