USL Orange County SC

Orange County SC Sign Local Standouts, Joe Franco & Amirgy Pineda

Published on February 19, 2017 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release


IRVINE, Calif. - Orange County Soccer Club is delighted to announce the signings of former LA Galaxy players, Joe Franco a standout of LA Galaxy II side that won the USL Western Conference in 2015 and Amirgy Pineda of the LA Galaxy Academy. The SoCal natives become the second and third players respectively to make the move from LA Galaxy to Orange County SC following Oscar Sorto's arrival at the club.

Franco, 27, spent four years at Cal State Northridge and in 2012 was named Big West Defender of the year. Following his time with the Matadors he played with the USL Premier Development League club LA Misionaeros before being drafted by Chivas USA in the second round of the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. He signed his first professional contract with Los Dos and played alongside Oscar Sorto in 2014. The versatile defender who can operate at either right back or left back played a pivotal role in securing the USL Western Conference in 2015 for LA Galaxy II. Over a two year spell with the club he totaled 44 appearances. In 2016, he signed with Miami FC in the NASL for their inaugural season, before making the transition back to Southern California with Orange County SC.

Amirgy "Ami" Pineda, 19, born and raised in Santa Ana, Orange County is a player who has been ever present on the youth soccer scene in Orange County with the Fullerton Rangers, winning two national championships in the process. He became the first American invited to train in the Nike Academy in England, and was subsequently signed to the LA Galaxy academy. Pineda is a versatile midfield player who can operate in a number of positions centrally or out wide.

The pair become the 12th and 13th signings for Orange County SC for the 2017 season and take the number of Southern California natives to seven and three from Orange County.

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