Frankie Amaya, FC Cincinnati’s No. 1 pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, could make his professional debut Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union at Nippert Stadium.
On Friday, Head Coach Alan Koch said Amaya will be on the 18-man matchday roster for the first time this season.
“He deserves to be in the 18 tomorrow because he’s a player who comes to work every single day, he puts his head down and works incredibly hard,” Koch said. “He deserves the opportunity.
“There’s no charity in this business. He deserves to be in the 18 and I’m excited to see how the game goes. If we need to play him, I have confidence in putting him out on the pitch.”
Amaya is an 18-year-old midfielder who recently played with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in Spain. He hasn’t featured for the Orange and Blue since the preseason.
“It means the world to me,” Amaya said about his opportunity. “This is something I’ve been looking forward to. I’ve been playing in the U-20s and in college, but this is a new level and new people to play in front of, especially with a better environment and better players around the league.”
FC Cincinnati selected Amaya with their first SuperDraft pick in club history. Amaya played one season at UCLA before signing a Generation adidas contract with MLS.
