Latest news with #Iloski
Canada News.Net
5 days ago
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
MLS assist leader Anders Dreyer leads San Diego FC as they host Toronto FC
(Photo credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images) It's mid-July and expansion San Diego FC leads the Western Conference, not the spot first-year franchises are typically found. Yet the surprise factor has long since evaporated and San Diego FC has proven to be a scary team entering Wednesday night's home game against Toronto FC. San Diego FC (13-6-3, 42 points) certainly has the attention of Toronto FC coach Robin Fraser. 'They're very, very good,' Fraser said of San Diego during Tuesday's media availability. 'I do think the feeling that expansion teams are at a disadvantage is not necessarily the case. They had a long lead-on time and they could afford to get some players and I think San Diego has done an excellent job in putting their team together.' San Diego took a hit to the roster Tuesday when forward Milan Iloski was returned to Danish side FC Nordsjaelland after his loan was mutually terminated. The club and Iloski attempted to reach a permanent deal but negotiations didn't pan out. Iloski was second on San Diego with 10 goals despite playing just 471 minutes. 'We worked diligently to make it long-term and we couldn't come to an agreement,' San Diego coach Mikey Varas said during Tuesday's media availability. 'Our focus is on the guys in the locker room. We wish him the best.' Iloski had eight goals over his past five appearances, including a mammoth four-goal game against the host Vancouver Whitecaps on June 25. San Diego still features one of the better one-two punches in MLS in All-Star forwards Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano. Dreyer had 11 goals and a league-best 15 assists, while Lozano has six goals and eight helpers. Dreyer had both goals in San Diego's 2-1 road victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday. Toronto (4-11-6, 18 points) is coming off a hard-luck 1-1 tie with visiting Atlanta United. Deybi Flores scored on a header in the 48th minute but Atlanta knotted the score in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time on a penalty kick by Emmanuel Latte Lath. Toronto of the Eastern Conference is unbeaten (2-0-2) against teams from the West and is opening a four-game road trip. Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio, the veteran midfielder, is making progress to rejoin the squad. He sustained an injury during training with Canada's Gold Cup squad late last month. 'Oso is very, very close,' Fraser said. 'Not sure yet if he'll be involved (Wednesday) but I think he will definitely see some action before we get back to Toronto.'
Canada News.Net
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Milan Iloski, San Diego FC mutually terminate loan
(Photo credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images) Standout forward Milan Iloski and San Diego FC parted ways Tuesday when negotiations to reach a permanent deal broke down. Iloski and the club mutually terminated his loan and he will return to Danish side FC Nordsjaelland. Iloski was second on San Diego with 10 goals despite playing just 471 minutes. 'We worked diligently to make it long-term and we couldn't come to an agreement,' San Diego coach Mikey Varas said during Tuesday's media availability. 'Our focus is on the guys in the locker room. We wish him the best.' Iloski, 25, had eight goals over his past five appearances, including an epic four-goal game against the host Vancouver Whitecaps on June 25. 'We want to thank Milan for his time and contributions to San Diego FC,' San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps said in a news release. 'He played an important role in our early history, and we respect his desire to return to FC Nordsjaelland and his decision to pursue other opportunities at this time. We wish him the best in this next stage of his career.' San Diego leads the Western Conference with 42 points and still features one of MLS' better one-two punches in All-Star forwards Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano. Dreyer has 11 goals and a league-best 15 assists while Lozano has six goals and eight assists. San Diego hosts Toronto FC on Wednesday.
Hamilton Spectator
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Iloski scores four, expansion side San Diego FC trounce Vancouver Whitecaps 5-3
VANCOUVER - Jesper Sorensen has given the Vancouver Whitecaps room to make mistakes. Now he needs the team to learn from them. After a stunning start to the Major League Soccer season, the 'Caps (10-3-5) are mired in their first losing skid of the campaign after dropping a 5-3 decision to expansion side San Diego FC on Wednesday. It was the squad's second loss in a row, coming after a 2-1 defeat to Columbus Crew back on June 14. 'It's normal that you meet adversity through a season,' Sorensen, who took over as head coach in January, said after Wednesday's loss. 'We have to bounce back and remind ourselves why we are in the position we are in. And then stay above. That's what it's about — it's not about falling, it's about how you get up on your feet.' With the loss, the Whitecaps slipped to the No. 2 spot in the league's Western Conference standings, one point behind San Diego. 'We are so fortunate that we have been having a very good season so far. So we have some freedom to play with,' Sorensen said. 'And that should release the energy for the players and not put upon pressure. 'We are not anywhere we have to protect anything. We have to chase everything. So that's what we will be doing.' San Diego controlled 51.3 per cent possession on Wednesday and held an 8-5 edge in on-target shots across the game. It was a rare off-night for Vancouver's usually staunch defence, which came in having conceded a league-low 152 shots across the first half of the season. The Whitecaps fell behind midway through the first half and couldn't battle back into the game. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped a blast from San Diego's Milan Iloski's in the 35th minute, but the rebound popped back out to the American striker and he fired it in before the netminder could get back in position. Two minutes later, the visitors struck again. Alejandro Alvarado appeared to shove Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic to the turf, then dished off to Iloski, who sprinted into the penalty area and put another ball past Takaoka for his second goal of the night. Officials conducted a video review of the play before determining the goal would stand. The 'Caps gained some momentum late in the half off a corner from Pedro Vite. The midfielder swung a ball in and it bounced around until Edier Ocampo collected it outside the six-yard box and fired a left-footed shot in for his first MLS goal. San Diego wasted no time in retaliating. Danish midfielder Anders Dreyer crossed a ball in to Iloski in the 44th minute and Iloski sent a header screaming in to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. 'I think that we were reacting very, very poorly on goals in this game,' Sorensen said. 'They scored one, boom, they scored again. We scored, boom, they scored. It's a proactive team. They don't care, they go jump on those occasions.' Trouble continued early in the second half. Dreyer passed off to Iloski, who steamed toward the net and fired another shot in, making it 4-1 with his fourth goal of the night. The 25-year-old made his first-ever MLS start on Wednesday, and had five goals on the season heading into the game. The Whitecaps cut into the deficit in the 66th minute. After coming off the bench for Ralph Priso at halftime, Mathias Laborda collected a ball from Vite and chipped a sharp-angle shot up and over San Diego 'keeper CJ Dos Santos. The goal followed a halftime talk from Sorensen, Laborda said. 'We've been doing really good. This game, the first half wasn't the best,' said the right back. 'So he tried to push us to be more intense, more quality with the ball.' San Diego's Tomas Angel, who came on for the injured Alvarado in the 79th minute, slipped a shot past Takaoka in the 90th minute to make it 5-2. Whitecaps academy product Antoine Coupland sealed the scored at 5-3 in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The 21-year-old Canadian came on for Andres Cubas in the 87th minute, making his MLS debut. There are lessons to be learned from the loss, Laborda said. 'Just to be focused. Don't be crazy just for a bad game or two games,' he said. 'We miss a little bit some players (due to international duty and injuries), too. But it is what it is.' Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that four Whitecaps players have been picked for the MLS all-star game. Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White will all make their all-star game debuts against LIGA MX all stars in Austin, Texas, on July 23. The Whitecaps return to play Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC. San Diego will face FC Dallas in Texas on Saturday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iloski scores club-record 4 goals, San Diego beats Vancouver, moves past 'Caps atop conference
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Milan Iloski scored a club-record four goals, Anders Dreyer had three assists and San Diego FC beat Vancouver 5-2 on Wednesday night to move past the Whitecaps into first in the Western Conference. Iloski is the third player this season (Vancouver's Brian White and Nashville's Sam Surridge) and the 20th in MLS history to score at least four goals in a game. San Diego (11-5-3) has won seven of nine with just one loss in that span and has 36 points, four behind Philadelphia — the points leaders in all of MLS — and one ahead of Vancouver. Vancouver (10-3-5) has lost back-to-back games following an 11-game unbeaten streak. Tomás Ángel scored for San Diego in the 90th minute. Iloski's shot from the edge of the box was parried by goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka but Iloski calmly tapped in the one-touch putback from the left side of the area that slipped inside the near post in the 35th minute and then scored on the counter-attack in the 37th to make it 2-0. Édier Ocampo scored his first career goal in MLS in the 43rd, a first-touch shot off a misplayed ball by San Diego defender Oscar Verhoeven. Dreyer played an arcing ball-in from the right side to the center of the area, where Iloski scored on a diving header in the 44th minute for the first hat trick in club history and then ran onto a ball played ahead by Dreyer and beat Takaoka one on one to make it 4-1 in the 47th. Mathias Laborda cut Vancouver's deficit to 4-2 in the 66th minute and Antoine Coupland, who made his MLS debut when he subbed on in the 87th minute, capped the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time. ___
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Milan Iloski scores four, expansion side San Diego FC trounce Whitecaps 5-3
VANCOUVER — Milan Iloski scored four goals and San Diego FC vaulted to the top of Major League Soccer's Western Conference with a dominant 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. Iloski, making his first MLS start, notched a hat trick in the first half, then added another tally in the 47th minute. Tomas Angel also had a goal for expansion side San Diego (11-5-3) in the 90th minute. Edier Ocampo, Mathias Laborda and Antoine Coupland — making his MLS debut — replied for the 'Caps (10-3-5). Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. San Diego controlled 51.3 per cent possession and held a 8-5 edge in on-target shots across the game. It was a rare off-night for Vancouver's usually staunch defence, which came in having conceded a league-low 152 shots across the first half of the season. With the loss, the Whitecaps slipped to the No. 2 spot in the league's Western Conference standings, one point behind San Diego. The home side fell behind in the 35th minute on Wednesday and couldn't battle its way back into the game. Whitecaps 'keeper Yohei Takaoka stopped Iloski's blast in the 35th minute, but the rebound popped back out to the American striker and he fired it in before the netminder could get back in position. Two minutes later, the visitors struck again. Alejandro Alvarado appeared to shove Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic to the turf, then dished off to Iloski, who sprinted into the penalty area and put another ball past Takaoka for his second goal of the night. Officials conducted a video review of the play before determining the goal would stand. The 'Caps gained some momentum late in the half off a corner from Pedro Vite. The midfielder swung a ball in and it bounced around until Ocampo collected it outside the six-yard box and fired a left-footed shot in for his first MLS goal. San Diego wasted no time in retaliating. Danish midfielder Anders Dreyer crossed a ball in to Iloski in the 44th minute and Iloski sent a header screaming in to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. The visitors controlled 50.3 per cent possession through the first half, outshot Vancouver 9-7 and held a 6-2 edge in on-target shots. Trouble continued early in the second half. Dreyer passed off to Iloski, who steamed toward the net and fired another shot in, making it 4-1 with his fourth goal of the night. Heading into Wednesday's game, the 25-year-old had five MLS goals on the season. The Whitecaps cut into the deficit in the 66th minute. Laborda, who came off the bench for Ralph Priso at halftime, collected a ball from Vite and chipped a sharp-angle shot up and over San Diego 'keeper CJ Dos Santos. Angel, who came on for the injured Alvarado in the 79th minute, slipped a shot past Takaoka in the 90th minute to make it 5-2. Coupland's goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the score at 5-3. The 21-year-old Canadian came on for Andres Cubas in the 87th minute, making his debut for the Whitecaps. Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that four Whitecaps players have been picked for the MLS all-star game. Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White will all make their all-star game debuts against LIGA MX all stars in Austin, Texas, on July 23. The Whitecaps return to play Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC. San Diego will face FC Dallas in Texas on Saturday.
