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The league's worst-performing side may have found some momentum, as Sporting Kansas City relied on their costly new acquisition to claim a 3–1 victory over Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga, and LAFC on Saturday.
Following the blueprint set by Inter Miami and LAFC this summer, the club invested $18 million in 24-year-old Brazilian forward André Luiz, acquiring him from Greek Super League outfit Olympiacos on a contract running through 2030-31.
Despite languishing at the foot of the MLS standings all season and currently occupying last place in the 30-team table, Saturday's victory offered a ray of hope for the future. Luiz, considered the first genuine building block of what appears to be a lengthy rebuild, netted his debut goal for the club with a slick dribble, a sharp cut, and a perfectly-placed finish into the top corner, beating French World Cup winner Hugo Lloris in goal.
OH MY ANDRÉ LUIZ! 😮💨
His first MLS goal gives @SportingKC the lead!
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/GmNnEFF3Ch pic.twitter.com/2yrdAskN4a
The result was SKC's fifth victory of the season and their first in eight matches, ending a stretch in which they collected just one of a possible 21 points. Following Luiz's opener in the 18th minute, Taylor Calheira and Jacob Bartlett added two more goals, while Bouanga pulled one back to spare LAFC complete humiliation.
"That's exactly why we brought him in," SKC head coach Raphaël Wicky said after the match. "That's why he's here. He's a very talented player. From the very first training session, you could see his quality — his individual ability, his change of pace, his one-on-one play — and obviously what he demonstrated today."
Luiz's transfer stands as the fourth-most expensive incoming deal in MLS history, with LAFC's 2025 acquisition of Son topping the list at $26.5 million. Several other clubs have also opened their wallets this year. Atlanta United brought in Breel Embolo for $18 million this summer, while Toronto FC secured Josh Sargent for $21 million just before the season kicked off. Inter Miami paid $15 million for striker Germán Berterame back in January.
SKC's spending spree follows majority owner Peter Mallouk's takeover of the club and his pledge to ramp up investment. Prior to landing Luiz, the team pursued former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and, in 2023, came closer than any other MLS side to signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sporting Kansas City's Push for Confidence
While the victory restores some confidence and gives the club's loyal fanbase a reason to believe, any realistic aspirations for the 2026 season remain far-fetched.
Heading into next week's fixture against Cavan Sullivan's Philadelphia Union, SKC find themselves 12 points adrift of the Western Conference MLS Cup playoff spots and on track for just 25 points total.
Although the team has finished bottom of the Western Conference on three occasions, they have never ended a season as the worst side in the entire league. While the playoffs appear out of reach, avoiding that unwanted wooden spoon remains a realistic goal, with the club just three points ahead of 29th-place CF Montréal.
"We don't talk about that," Wicky said, regarding the prospect of finishing last. "When we walk into the training facility, there are screens everywhere, and the standings are displayed on every TV throughout the day — that's reminder enough; we don't need to discuss it. I see the table every single day, and it stings every day, but we're focused on taking it one game at a time."
After the Philadelphia fixture, SKC face a grueling run of games, with six of their remaining 10 opponents currently sitting above the MLS Cup playoff threshold, including Supporters' Shield frontrunners Nashville SC.