Now here is a rarity, if not a first.

A team will call two cities home with different names in to which venue they play.

Flower City Union and Syracuse Pulse have agreed to a unique merger prior to the National Independent Soccer Association season. The merged organizations will have one centralized front office and will host matches in the Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y. markets.

Matches played in Rochester will be under the Flower City Union banner while the club will introduce the Salt City Union brand for matches held in Syracuse. This hybrid aligns with the Flower City Union brand while paying homage to the origins of Syracuse.

There was no timetable for how long the arrangement will be in place.

“Our combined organizations will allow us to strengthen the Flower City Union business operations, while extending our Union brand into the Syracuse market,” Flower City Union primary club owner Jimmy Paola said in a statement. “Continuing to grow in our respective communities is an important component to this merger. We’re committed to growing our community partnerships, fan and supporter connections in each of our beautiful cities.”

Jim Smith of Syracuse is the team’s new strategic partner.

“We are delighted to merge with the Flower City Union organization,” he said in a statement. “This unique partnership allows our organization to continue to play in the Syracuse market.”

Once a schedule is determined, Flower City Union will announce the home venue and the number of matches that will be played in Rochester and Syracuse.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.