It’s not over until the final whistle blows. San Diego FC is halfway through their inaugural season in the 2025 MLS Regular Season competition and they’re not taking their foot off the pedal. The second half of the season is underway, and the Club has recorded 12 goals in three matches since returning to MLS action on the road.
Forwards Tomás Ángel and Milan Iloksi – who scored 8 goals combined in MLS competition during the month of June – shared their thoughts on the team’s relentless mindset and how the Club has become a family in their inaugural season.
“They've always said that the game doesn't finish until the referee whistles and I always try to be calm and thinking that there's an opportunity that's going to come,” Ángel said. “I think it's just being calm and thinking that whatever ball is loose, try to score.”
“For me, especially as a striker, I can't dwell on missed chances or anything like that. I have to pick my head up really fast and have a short mentality,” Iloski added.
SDFC is currently 12-5-3 in the season and was undefeated for the month of June. The club was down in all three matches but bounced back. Being down a goal can be discouraging for most, but as a professional athlete, players must keep their head in the game.
“Sometimes it's gonna be a fantastic day, sometimes it's going to be a not so good day, but I think the attitude has to be always there and try to keep on going, looking forward and looking to the next play,” Ángel said.
Iloski described what was going through his mind when SDFC was down in the first half against FC Dallas, 2-1. “We were losing, but we also know we have a lot of quality, and we don't need much to score a goal,” the Escondido native said. “I think we have really good players and really good goal scorers, so whether it was me or someone else, we knew that chances would just come in the game because we have a lot of quality and we kept fighting and kept going and kept pushing.”
Ángel, recorded his third goal of the season and the game winner for San Diego against FC Dallas, 3-2. “When I saw Dryer, well, I didn't know he was going to cross it to the penalty spot, but it was my intuition, and obviously having a talented player like him, you never know what's going to happen,” said Ángel. “He's special, and when I saw the cross come in, I knew it was a big opportunity to impact the game, and thankfully I did.”
Before walking out of the locker room, the team yells, “family.” On and off the pitch, the team has come together in good times and bad times. In a short time, SDFC has become a familia.
“I mean, that’s the last thing we say, before we go out, and it's the truth,” Iloski said. “I think a lot of guys have really bonded, really closely with people. We have so many full team events here where we have a barbecue, where everyone brings their wife, everyone brings their kid, brings a brother or a cousin or someone and it's just a chance to all interact and eat some food together. The club's done a great job of really implementing that and really caring about the families, which I think just makes the group closer.”
Ángel added how he’s felt since joining the SDFC family. “I think we have a great group. We all get along and I think that’s important for a long season, for a season with a team that’s just starting out, and the truth is, I feel that we are a big family.”
