Jamie Vardys US club Rochester New York FC ceases operations

Rochester New York FC will cease operations effective immediately, MLS Next Pro announced today. The club, which was part-owned by Premier League striker Jamie Vardy, debuted with the new third-division league in 2022 and made the playoffs as the fourth team in the Eastern Conference. Heres what you need to know.

RNY FC was co-owned by David and Wendy Dworkin as well as Leicester Citys Vardy. The Dworkins had previously owned and operated the Rochester Raging Rhinos, which is still the most recent non-MLS club to win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, doing so in 1999. But the team went on hiatus for four years before the 2022 season.

On Monday, U.S. Soccer announced that the Pittsburgh Riverhounds who were slated to host Rochester in the second round of the Open Cup will advance to the third round, credited with winning a 1-0 forfeit.

Rochesters home matches were played at John L. DiMarco Field on the Monroe Community College campus.

As a result of todays announcement, MLS Next Pro will not have any independent clubs competing in 2023. All 27 teams are affiliated with MLS organizations to better bridge the gap between its academies and first teams.

UPDATE on Rochester New York FC and MLS NEXT /uvlkS6W9n1

MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO)March 10, 2023

When MLS announced its decision to launch a second league to better facilitate player development, it was clear that the doors would be open for independent members. Rochester had previously been in the leagues sightsfor an MLS franchisein its first decade, but ultimately MLS shifted its focus to larger markets. The Rhinos were among the most successful clubs in U.S. lower-division history, winning five titles across three leagues between 1998 and 2015 and famously being the most recent lower-division champion of the U.S. Open Cup. The club went on an indefinite hiatus following the 2017 USL season after attendance plummeted to an annual draw of 2,031 fans.

One of the reasons for the hiatus (was) a dysfunctional relationship with the City of Rochester, Wendy Dworkin toldThe Athleticin June 2021. You couldnt keep moving forward as a professional team should with that style of relationship. The second reason (was) I think we needed to pause to do this correctly.

After many fans lost hope that a club would return in any league, the Dworkins announced an agreement to launch the first independent club in MLS Next Pro, withVardy bringing star appealto the ownership group. The club spoke of having great operational ambition, with Vardy trying to get it back to what it was with RNY FC competing for trophies flanked by a healthy fanbase.

Time to believe impossible.@rnyfcofficialtakes to the field for the first time today when they take on St. Louis City 2 and I couldnt be more m/dvto6dEqi5

Jamie Vardy (@vardy7)March 25, 2022

Do I think its possible that we could get 10,000 fans? David Dworkin toldThe Athleticin 2021. I think thats going to be a challenge because the baseball team, which has been here for a hundred and something years, only has a handful of games where they get 12-13,000 people. The question is, what is that sweet-spot number? Is it 7,500? Is it 8,000?

If the community takes hold of what were trying to do, and we do what were supposed to do, which is provide a quality product I absolutely think its possible. So now this is our chance to really make a difference.

In the 2021 interview, David cited difficulty working with the City of Rochester to help the Rhinos find a permanent home before the hiatus years. The club seemed ready to operate with a temporary venue, playing the 2022 season at John L. DiMarco Field, which has a listed capacity of 1,500. However, sources with direct knowledge of the clubs decision, speaking anonymously given the sensitivity of the situation, said a struggle to find a permanent solution with greater fan capacity made operating the club difficult from the get-go.

The club also faced difficulties throughout its sole season. Fans were slow to warm to the rebranding, given the longstanding affinity for the Rhinos moniker.When flights and a backup bussing plan were nullified by inclement weather ahead of their first match, the team drove a fleet of cars 800 miles to St. Louis, ultimately losing 2-0 after all of their efforts. And Portuguese head coach Bruno Baltazar didnt join the team until the second week of the season due to issues securing his visa.

Still, team personnel seemed optimistic as recently as last fall.

Its been a remarkable year, sporting directorLee Tucker toldThe Athleticin September. People just see the end product on the pitch and think it all looks quite easy, but the amount of challenges behind the scenes that weve endured this year and still we managed to achieve the play-offs. Its so rewarding, in terms of all the hard work and sweat, blood and tears.

Now, the club becomes the third lower-division team to cease operations after a single season over the past six years, each coming in a different league. TheSan Francisco Deltas went won-and-done in 2017, winning the NASL title in what proved to be the final year for club and league. Perhaps more parallel to Rochesters situation is Lansing Ignite FC, which launched in 2019 alongside the newly formed USL League One.

Sources with knowledge of the teams situation questioned toThe Athleticwhether, in hindsight, it would have been wiser to give Rochester an extra year of preparation to ensure greater operational stability. While American soccer leagues continue to expand at all levels of the pyramid, there still isnt a consensus on how much run-up time is necessary between the ink drying on the contracts and the teams first competitive match.

Its unclear whether the Dworkins and Vardy will pursue another rebirth for their club in this or another league down the road. Sources toldThe Athleticthat the team held off announcing this decision as long as it could while ownership worked with MLS to try to find a path forward. Rochester does have another professional mens club, as NISAs Flower City Union also debuted in 2022.

As for MLS Next Pro, the league is expected to announce its 2023 schedule next week. While there wont be any independent clubs participating, another unaffiliated member, Carolina Core FC led by U.S. legend Eddie Pope out of High Point, North Carolina will kick off in 2024. MLS Next Pro also announced thatCleveland would be joining the leaguein 2025, adding a major market which was previously unsuccessfully sought after by both the NASL and USL. A source said they expect that Core FC wont be the only new team to kick off in 2024, indicating that the league remains in conversations with several interested members for future expansion.

On Monday, U.S. Soccer announced that the Pittsburgh Riverhounds who were slated to host Rochester in the second round of the Open Cup will advance to the third round. A far cry from the Rhinos bygone success in the Open Cup, the Riverhounds are coached by Bob Lilley, who helmed the Rhinos from 2010-211 and 2014-2017. Pittsburgh will formally be credited with winning a 1-0 forfeit. Theyll learn their first operational opponent when the third round matchups are drawn on April 6.

Official Statement the 2023 Open Cup Third Round via forfeit ations »

U.S. Open Cup (@opencup)March 13, 2023

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Jeff Rueteris a staff writer for The Athletic who covers North American soccer. Prior to joining in 2019, his work appeared in the Guardian, ESPN FC, Sky Sports and FourFourTwo USA. Rueters cover story for Howler Magazine (Winter 2017/18) was a Best American Sports Writing 2019 notable honoree.Follow Jeff on Twitter@jeffrueter