by Per Gary Moody
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the first and only men’s league designated by USASA as a Tier 1 national league, is proud to announce that Flower City Union (Rochester, NY) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will begin play in 2024.
“It’s exciting to add such a proven and storied team to the NPSL,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “The Rochester, New York market is a great addition as the NPSL continues to expand throughout upstate New York. The enthusiasm and support of the local community in Rochester delivers a terrific fan experience, while the facility, quality of coaching, and professional reputation provides an experience to players that enables them to thrive and succeed.”
Flower City Union was founded in 2020 and began play at the professional level in NISA (National Independent Soccer Association) in 2022. The team played two full seasons in NISA and were crowned the 2022 Northeast Region Independent Cup Champions, 2023 Northeast Region Independent Cup Champions, and 2023 NISA Champions.
The club’s ownership group consists of Rochester native Jimmy Paola and experienced soccer executive and minority owner Mark Washo. The club’s front office and technical staff is led by General Manager Casey Catlin and Head Coach Jordan Sullivan.
Catlin boasts experience with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Rochester Rhinos. Sullivan was the head coach that led Flower City Union to the 2023 NISA Championship.
“We are excited to be joining the NPSL and look to continue building off of our successes both on and off the field in 2023,” Catlin said. “The brand awareness is steadily growing locally and nationally, and we look to continue growing while fielding a competitive team on the pitch and enhancing our overall gameday experience for our fans.”
Home matches will be played at the Rochester Community Sports Complex. The venue has seating for nearly 14,000 and includes 14 luxury suites. The facility has hosted matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Rochester Rhinos, and WNY Flash.
“The NPSL has history here in Rochester with the Rochester Lancers, and we have heard nothing but great things about the league and how it operates professionally so we are excited to be joining,” Catlin added.
Fans and supporters can visit www.flowercityunion.com or follow the team on Facebook (@flowercityunion), Instagram (@Flowercityunion), and Twitter (@flowercityunion).
“Having played at the professional level in NISA these past two seasons, we look to keep up with those standards in the NPSL,” Catlin concluded.
More information about expansion opportunities in the NPSL can be found at npsl.com/expansion.
