VANCOUVER, B.C. (Wednesday, June 25, 2025) – San Diego FC (SDFC) returned to MLS action from its bye week with a 5–3 road win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, behind a four-goal performance from Milan Iloski and a second-half strike by Tomás Ángel at BC Place. With the victory, SDFC moves into first place in the Western Conference.
Iloski recorded a first-half hat trick, scoring in the 35th and 37th minutes to give SDFC a 2-0 lead before Vancouver answered with a goal from Edier Ocampo in the 43rd minute. Just one minute later, Iloski completed the first hat trick in SDFC history, heading in his third to restore the two-goal advantage at 3-1. He added a fourth goal just two minutes into the second half to extend the lead to 4-1 in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Ángel added SDFC’s fifth goal of the night, while Mathias Laborda and Antoine Copeland scored second-half goals for Vancouver.
SDFC earned all three points in its first visit to Vancouver and now travels to Texas to face FC Dallas on Saturday, June 28 at Toyota Stadium.
Goal Scoring Plays:
0-1 – SD – Milan Iloski, 35th minute: Iloski opened the scoring after sending in a left-footed shot past Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka. Iloski put back his own shot after Takaoka dove and blocked Iloski’s first shot but the SDFC forward took the rebound and sent it in between the left post and Takaoka’s extended right foot.
0-2 – SD- Milan Iloski (Anders Dreyer), 37th Minute: Iloski scored his second of the night with a right-footed shot to the back of the net, finishing a quick, low rolling pass from Dreyer on a breakaway to extend SDFC’s lead.
1-2 – VAN – Edier Ocampo, 43rd Minute: Ocampo sent in a left-footed one-time shot inside the penalty box after a deflection off an SDFC defender. Goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos got his hands on it, but the ball still found the back of the net.
1-3 – SD- Milan Iloski (Anders Dreyer), 44th Minute: Iloski completed his hat trick with a diving header off a pinpoint cross from Dreyer, whipping the ball into the net from right to left. He charged into the penalty box following a quick SDFC counterattack in response to Vancouver’s first goal of the night.
1-4 – SD- Milan Iloski (Anders Dreyer), 47th Minute: Iloski added his fourth goal of the night off another Dreyer assist, slotting a low shot past the Vancouver keeper. Takaoka got a hand on it but couldn’t keep it out. Dreyer threaded the pass between two defenders, finding Iloski in stride.
2-4 – VAN – Mathias Laborda (Pedro Vite), 66th minute: Laborda sent a quick shot past CJ Dos Santos near the right post off a through pass by Vite from outside the penalty box.
2-5 –SD – Tomás Ángel (Onni Valakari ) 90th minute: Ángel sent in a left-footed shot around Vancouver goalkeeper Takaoka to close out the scoring for the night. He took a pass by Onni Valakari into the penalty box before beating the goalkeeper on the play.
3-5- SD – Antoine Coupland (Tate Johnson and Pedro Vite) 90+6: Coupland sent in a shot from the center of the box for the third Vancouver goal of the night off a pass by Johnson on a play that started with a ball by Vite.
Postgame Notes:
· With today’s 5-3 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, SDFC earned its 11th win in Club history.
· SDFC is now 11-5-3 with 36 points through 19 games this season and currently sits in first place in the Western Conference standings.
· SDFC has outscored opponents 22-7 in the Club’s nine matches on the road.
· SDFC is now 11-4-2 against Western Conference rivals this season.
· SDFC earned 22 out of the 27 possible points in the last nine matches.
· SDFC is now 5-4-0 on the road this season.
· Manu Duah made his professional debut replacing Milan iloski in the 89th minute.
· Goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos and defender Chris McVey started tonight and played a full 90 minutes through the Club’s first 19 MLS regular season matches, each totaling 1,710 minutes played. Dos Santos and McVey remain the only SDFC players to have played a full 90 minutes in each of SDFC’s 19 matches this season.
· Forward Milan Iloski made his first start for SDFC and first in MLS.
· Iloski registered the Club’s first-ever hat trick with his three goals in the first half.
· Iloski’s goals came in a span of 12 minutes with his fourth goal early in the second half.
· The Escondido native has scored the most goals in a match for SDFC.
· Iloski’s hat trick in nine minutes ties for the fifth fastest in MLS history.
· With his “Haul” iloski registered the club’s 34th, 35th, 36th, and 37th goals of the season for SDFC.
· Iloski scored five goals in 90 minutes heading into halftime tonight. He had a brace in the second half of SDFC’s 4-2 win at Minnesota United FC on June 15.
· Iloski is the 10th player in league history to score three goals in a span of 10 minutes or less in a half.
· He is also the first player to register four goals for SDFC and is the 20th player in league history to score at least four goals in a game and the third to do so this season (Brian White and Sam Surridge).
· Tonight, was Iloski’s second consecutive match where he has scored two or more goals and his third-straight match where he has scored at least one goal.
· Iloski has scored seven MLS regular season goals in three matches.
· Forward Milan Iloski made his 12th consecutive SDFC and MLS appearance.
· Iloski now has nine goals this season and leads SDFC, with one goal ahead of Anders Dreyer.
· Dreyer’s assisted in three of Iloski’s goals tonight. He now has at least one assist in the last three matches.
· Dreyer now has 20 goal contributions this season (8 goals, 12 assists).
· Defender Luca Bombino made his 12th start for SDFC tonight.
· SDFC was without nine players tonight, including Aníbal Godoy (Panama) and Luca De La Torre (United States) who are on national team duty.
· SDFC had three players named to the MLS All-Star team prior to tonight’s match: Anders Dreyer, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Jeppe Tverskov.
· Forward Manu Duah made his SDFC and MLS debut when he came on as a substitute in the 89th minute for Milan Iloski.
· Defender Oscar Verhoeven made his fifth start with SDFC, his seventh appearance with the Club and his sixth MLS career appearance.
· Forward Tomas Ángel registered his second goal of the season with his 90th minute goal tonight.
· Tomás Ángel has registered two goals and two assists in 329 minutes played.
Next Game
Following Wednesday’s contest, San Diego FC continues its road swing, traveling to face FC Dallas for the first time on Saturday, June 28 at Toyota Park. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. PT, with live coverage again available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, along with English and Spanish radio broadcasts on San Diego Sports 760 AM and TUDN 1700 AM.
Match Information
2025 MLS Regular Season
San Diego FC (11-5-3, 36 pts) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10-3-5, 35 pts)
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 – BC Place (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Scoring Summary:
SD (0-1) – Milan Iloski, 35’
SD (0-1) – Milan iloski (Assisted by Anders Dreyer), 37’
VAN (1-2) – Edier Ocampo, 43’
SD (1-3) – Milan Iloski (Assisted by Anders Dreyer), 44’
SD (1-4) – Milan Iloski (Assisted by Anders Dreyer), 47’
VAN (2-4) – Mathias Laborda, 66’
SD (2-5) – Tomás Ángel (Assisted by Onni Valakari), 90’
VAN (3-5) – Antoine Coupland (Assisted by Tate Johnson and Pedro Vite) 90+6
Misconduct Summary:
SD – Christopher McVey (Caution, 23’)
SD – Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (Caution, 45’+5’)
VAN – Mathias Laborda (Caution, 52’)
VAN – Andres Cubas (Caution, 81’)
Lineups:
SAN DIEGO FC: GK CJ Dos Santos; D Ian Pilcher, D Oscar Verhoeven, D Christopher McVey, D Luca Bombino; M Onni Valakari, M Jeppe Tverskov -C-, M Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (Emmanuel Boateng, 70’); F Anders Dreyer, F Milan Iloski (Manu Duah, 89’), F Alex Mighten (Tomás Ángel, 79’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Pablo Sisniega, GK Jacob Jackson, D Franco Negri, M Heine Bruseth, D Jasper Loëffelsend
TOTAL SHOTS: 12; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8; FOULS: 12; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES; 2
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC: GK Yohei Takaoka; D Ranko Veselinovic -C-, D Edier Ocampo (Damir Kreilach, 90+1), D Tate Johnson, D Tristan Blackmon, D Emmanuel Sabbi (Jean-Claude Ngando, 70’); M Ralph Priso (Mathias Laborda, 46’), M Andres Cubas (Antoine Coupland, 87’), M Pedro Vite; F Jeevan Badwal, F Daniel Rios
Substitutes Not Used: D Belal Halbouni, D Bjørn Utvik, GK Isaac Boehmer, M Jackson Castro, F Rayan Elloumi
TOTAL SHOTS: 17; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 15; OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 3
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Assistant Referees: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Alain Ruch
VAR: Michael Radchuk
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 66-degrees
Attendance: 20,876
