LOS ANGELES – FC Cincinnati left No. 1 overall MLS SuperDraft pick Frankie Amaya behind in L.A.

FC Cincinnati returned home following Saturday's loss to Los Angeles Football Club but Amaya stayed behind to begin a loan spell with Orange County SC of the USL Championship, the team confirmed.

After not dressing for matches in the earliest portion of the season, Amaya grew into a bench option for FC Cincinnati. He made two appearances for a combined 21 minutes.

However, it's believed Amaya's workload might not have been enough to secure his spot on the U.S. Under-20 national team's 2019 World Cup roster.

The move to Orange County offers the promise of regular minutes and gaining experience for the 18-year-old Amaya. He'll be able to live at home with his family in Santa Ana, California, and increase his value to FC Cincinnati and the Tab Ramos-coached U-20 national team.

"I think it's a good moment for me," Amaya said after the LAFC match. "It's sad for me to leave FC Cincinnati but I'll be back. It's just a good way for me to get some games in and keep pushing. I feel like it's gonna put me in a better place. I really want to play here but I think it's the best thing for me."

Per the Right of Recall incorporated in the loan agreement, FC Cincinnati retained the right to recall Amaya at any point during the MLS regular season.

Orange County SC (2-2-2) is currently in one of the 10 playoff positions in the USL Championship's Western Conference. The club plays its home matches at Championship Soccer Stadium, in Irvine, California, and is coached by former MLS player, Braeden Cloutier.

The only player from FC Cincinnati's inaugural draft class that remains with the club is goalkeeper Jimmy Hague, but Cincinnati will look to Amaya to become the latest lower-league success story for the club.

With exception to the injured Logan Gdula, FC Cincinnati's pipeline of prospects on loan with USL Championship teams are receiving regular first-team minutes and contributing.

Amaya departs for Orange County having completed a dream week with his parent club.

Amaya spent last week preparing for and eventually playing against LAFC. The trip for the match included an FC Cincinnati training session at UCLA, where Amaya played out his brief college career last year.