Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed Sporting Kansas City Academy midfielder Luis Cruz-Ayala to an MLS NEXT Pro amateur contract ahead of Friday's match at North Texas SC.
Amateur contracts are signed on a single-game basis, preserving Cruz-Ayala's NCAA eligibility. He will be rostered for SKC II's match at North Texas SC tomorrow night. Kickoff at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is set for 7:45 p.m. CT with a live stream available at MLSNEXTPro.com.
Cruz-Ayala joined the club in 2017 and is the longest-tenured member of the Sporting Kansas City Academy. The Omaha, Nebraska native has represented every age group from U-12 up to the U-19s and played a major role in the U-12s claiming the 2018 GA Cup and SuperCopa crowns. The midfielder and the U-19s also won back-to-back UPSL regular season titles in the Oklahoma-Arkansas Division and the Midwest-South Division in the fall of 2023 and Spring of 2024.
Head coach Istvan Urbanyi and Sporting KC II will return to Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village on Wednesday, April 9, when they host MNUFC2 in a midweek MLS NEXT Pro match. The game is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs Luis Cruz-Ayala to MLS NEXT Pro amateur contract.
VITALS:
Luis Cruz-Ayala
Position: Midfielder
Birthdate: 08/02/2006 (18 years old)
Height: 5-7
Weight: 150
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
