What is the origin story for Flower City 1872 and Flower City Union?
Flower City Union was founded in 2020 to fill the void of professional soccer in the City of Rochester after the Rochester Rhinos folded. The team had a tumultuous beginning but ultimately found stability in majority owner Jimmy Paola.

The team’s mission statement is “We are a soccer club committed to positively impacting the City of Rochester and its surrounding communities by fielding a competitive, championship-caliber team while supporting the development of youth soccer locally. Passion and inclusion are our North Star, guiding how we live, how we act, how we play, how we serve. Rather than being a sport business operating in Rochester, we are a Flower City business operating in sport. As such, we acknowledge our responsibility in nurturing social and economic connections through inclusive business practices. We actively embrace diversity and aim to reflect the faces and voices of our region.”

Flower City 1872 was founded and began play in 2023.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
We pride ourselves on our branding, specifically the badge and colors as it represents Rochester as the Flower City with our primary color of lilac as an ode to the famous Lilac Festival held in Rochester,NY in Highland Park which boasts the largest lilac collection in North America. The badge has remained the same and will continue to remain the same over time. Flower City 1872’s badge slightly differs from that of Flower City Union. While the colors remain the same, the badge replaces the Rochester flower with the silhouette of Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer for women’s rights and the women’s suffrage movement who was arrested in Rochester, NY in 1872 for illegally voting.

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
Flower City Union competed in NISA for 2 seasons, capturing the title in year 2 before moving to the NPSL for a multitude of reasons where they have had 2 successful seasons, making the playoffs each season and capturing the conference title in 2025.

Flower City 1872 competed in the UWS for 2 seasons before making the move to the USLW for the 2025 season.

Many clubs choose to sell hats, scarves or replica kits - how does your club keep the lights on and cover its league costs?
Our clubs have a wide array of merchandise available year round on our website that interested people can purchase to support the club. We also rely on all of our great sponsors and partners as well as our amazing fans and season ticket holders to keep things operating at the level that it does which we are proud of.

How did you finish last year? What are the goals for this season?
Flower City Union had a great 2025, finishing the regular season with a record of 8-1-1 before capturing the Great Lakes Conference title and the season ultimately coming to an end in the Midwest Region Final. The team finished #6 out of 74 teams in the NPSL which secured the team an automatic bid in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026.

Flower City 1872 had a tough transition year in 2025 as they began play in the USLW. The team finished the season with a record of 2-7-1.

The goals for both teams for 2026 are to continue to build on the growth from the 2025 season. For Flower City Union, we would love to defend our conference title and for Flower City 1872, we would love to finish at the top of the division and make a push for the playoffs.

How do you participate in, or give back to your community?
The club participates in various community activations, including its annual Charity Night, the NAMI Walk, the Golisano Children’s Hospital Stroll for Strong Kids Walk, and it partakes in initiatives with Trillium Health and Urban League of Rochester, organizations known for providing care for minority and underserved communities.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Flower City 1872 had an incredible experience in 2025 traveling to Burlington, VT to take on Vermont Green FC’s women’s team that they have put together for just a few matches the past couple seasons coached by Sam Mewis. Burlington is a bit further than 100 miles from Rochester but we would love to have that opportunity again. For Flower City Union, we had a preseason friendly against FC Buffalo for the first time in 2025 and we would love to continue that series in the future.

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