Milan Iloski Makes MLS History, San Diego Rise to Western Conference Summit | OneFootball

In a battle of the best teams in the MLS Western Conference, San Diego FC’s Milan Iloski didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

While the thriving expansion side has had questions surrounding their center forward position, the 25-year-old American put himself into the history books in his first MLS start on Wednesday night, scoring four goals in a 5–3 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

The win put San Diego into top spot in the Western Conference, passing the Whitecaps, and Iloski hit a history-smashing mark, with a hat-trick within nine minutes, before adding a fourth in 12 minutes – the fastest four-goal spell in MLS history.

“It's, of course, a great feeling. I hold myself to a very high standard. I've always said this, and it's something that I expected of myself,” he told reporters after the match. “I play with great players...this whole team, the way we play, it makes it a dream for a striker like me.”

Iloski's Three-Match Run

At the same time, he became just the 20th player in MLS history to score four goals in a single match and the third this season, joining Whitecaps’ Brian White, who missed Wednesday’s match due to international duty – and Nashville SC's Sam Surridge, who scored a hat-trick in his team’s 3–2 win over the New England Revolution.

Making the run even more incredible was that Iloski’s last 93 minutes of MLS game action have included seven goals, after he scored a brace from the 75th minute onward against Austin FC, and previously a 92nd-minute goal against Minnesota United.

While Iloski won’t maintain that rate of goal scoring, his recent run could pose questions for San Diego FC in the upcoming transfer window about whether they need to improve the No. 9 position or already have the solution on the roster.

Regardless of the future, things could not be going better for San Diego. Despite missing key players in midfielder Luca de la Torre, center back Paddy McNair, and winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, head coach Mikey Varas’ team dominated Vancouver, vaulting them to first place in the standings for the first time.

Their achievement made them the first expansion team since St. Louis CITY SC in 2023 to hit such a mark. Meanwhile, their roster build and style of play are much more sustainable than St. Louis was in their inaugural campaign, given their star players and balanced first-choice lineup.

San Diego FC Enjoying All-Star Calls, Salary Steals

San Diego FC's Anders Dreyer has been one of the most productive players in MLS this season. / Courtesy of San Diego FC

It was a big day for both San Diego and the Whitecaps ahead of kickoff, with both teams combining for seven MLS All-Stars, with four on Vancouver and three on San Diego.

Yet, it was San Diego’s that shone through, in particular with Anders Dreyer, as the Danish winger put up three assists, bringing his season total to 12 assists and eight goals, leading the league in total goal contributions.

While his play in his first MLS season ranks him above players like Lionel Messi, Christian Benteke, Surridge and other standouts, his total salary pales in comparison, a factor that arose after the MLS Players’ Association released the salaries of each player on Wednesday.

According to the MLSPA release, Dreyer earns just $2,434,314, ranking as the 10th-highest-earning new player and the 40th-highest-paid player in the league.

For context, that breaks down into $121,715.70 per goal contribution for Dreyer, one of the best value players in the league, while Iloski, who makes $156,000.00, now has nine goals, making each worth $17,333.33.

“He's a special player. He's always finding the right space,” Varas said of Dreyer. “He's a giver, so even when he might have a shot, he's always willing to make the extra pass to upgrade the chance.

“He's an example of who we are as a team, because he runs and he gives and he gives and he gives, and then he's got tremendous talent and tremendous quality.”

With 15 matches remaining, San Diego’s spot at the top of the conference is anything but sure. Yet, Wednesday was a continuation of their rapid rise, as they eye even greater goals as the fall and MLS Cup Playoffs near.

“I've never had a crystal ball in my whole life, and I'm not going to start now, so we're going to take it one day at a time as always,” Varas added.

“It's about stacking performances on top of performances home and away [for the rest of the season], and training with the right mentality, and then making sure that we have a big squad so everybody's ready to go.”

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