SAN DIEGO (Saturday, July 5, 2025) – San Diego FC (SDFC) returned to Snapdragon Stadium following a month-long road stretch and fell 4-3 to Houston Dynamo in a hard-fought match. Milan Iloski opened the scoring in the first half, with Luca Bombino and Onni Valakari adding second-half goals. However, Houston struck twice late in the match to claim the win, handing SDFC only its second-ever home loss. The result also ended San Diego’s four-match unbeaten run.
Iloski gave SDFC a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute, but Houston pulled level in the 36th with a goal from Lawrence Ennali. The visitors then took a 2-1 lead into halftime after Franco Escobar found the net in first-half stoppage time.
San Diego responded in the second half, tying the match 2-2 in the 54th minute through a goal by Luca Bombino. Thirteen minutes later, Onni Valakari scored his fourth goal of the season to give SDFC a 3-2 lead in the 67th minute. Houston equalized once again in the 87th minute, this time from the penalty spot with a finish by Ezequiel Ponce. The Dynamo sealed the win deep into stoppage time, scoring the game-winner in the 100th minute with a low shot tucked into the bottom corner.
SDFC will now head back on the road, traveling to the Windy City to face Chicago Fire on Saturday, July 12 at Soldier Field. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. PT, with live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, as well as English and Spanish radio broadcasts on San Diego Sports 760 AM and TUDN 1700 AM.
The Club then returns to Snapdragon Stadium for three straight home matches against Toronto FC (July 16), Vancouver Whitecaps (July 19), and Nashville SC (July 25). Tickets for all three matches are available at SanDiegoFC.com/Tickets.
Goal Scoring Plays:
SD 1-0 – Milan Iloski (Onni Valakari, Luca Bombino), 25th minute: Iloski opened the scoring with a right-footed shot from close range, slotting it past goalkeeper Jonathan Bond from the center of the six-yard box. The play began with a cross from Bombino that Valakari headed into Iloski’s path for the finish.
HOU 1-1 – Lawrence Ennali (Amine Bassi), 36th minute: Ennali leveled the match with a composed finish over a sliding CJ Dos Santos. The Houston winger beat his defender to a long, bouncing pass from Bassi and flicked his shot into the net as he broke into the box.
HOU 1-2 – Franco Escobar (Ethan Bartlow) 45+3: Escobar gave Houston the lead just before halftime with a curling right-footed strike from outside the box, bending the shot inside the right post past Dos Santos.
SD 2-2 – Luca Bombino (Jeppe Tverskov) 54th: Bombino brought SDFC level with a left-footed volley from the left side of the box, sending the ball inside the far post. Tverskov delivered a pinpoint pass to set up the finish.
SD 3-2 – Onni Valakari 67th: Valakari restored San Diego’s lead with a close-range finish at the goal line. Dreyer found him with a low cross after Tverskov had initiated the move with a quick ball into the box.
HOU 3-3 – Ezequiel Ponce (Penalty Kick) 87th: Ponce converted a penalty kick past CJ Dos Santos to tie the match.
HOU 4-3 _ Ezequiel Ponce (Ethan Bartlow) 90+10: Ponce secured the win for Houston in stoppage time with his second goal of the night – a low left-footed shot tucked into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Postgame Notes:
· With today’s 4-3 loss against the Houston Dynamo, SDFC suffered its second-ever loss at home and sixth loss in Club history.
· Tonight’s 4-3 loss marks the most goals SDFC has ever conceded in a single match and the most goals allowed at home in club history.
· SDFC is now 12-6-3 with 39 points through 21 games this season and currently sits in first place in the Western Conference standings.
· SDFC is now 12-5-2 against Western Conference rivals this season.
· SDFC is now 6-2-3 at home this season.
· SDFC has 23 goals at home in 2025.
· SDFC is now 9-1-0 when scoring first.
· Goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos and defender Chris McVey started tonight and played a full 90 minutes through the Club’s first 21 MLS regular season matches, each totaling 1,890 minutes played.
· Forward Milan Iloski made his 14th consecutive SDFC appearance and 16th MLS appearance.
· Iloski made his third start with SDFC and scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season, becoming SDFC’s first-ever double-digit goal scorer.
· With his goal tonight, Iloski became SDFC’s leading scorer (10 goals).
· Iloski now has nine goal contributions in the last five games (8 goals, 1 assist).
· Iloski has 11 goal contributions in 471 minutes played.
· Luca Bombino, who made his 14th start for the Club, scored his first SDFC goal and first in MLS tonight.
· Bombino also earned his first assist with SDFC and in MLS with his contribution during Iloski’s goal tonight.
· Onni Valakari scored his fourth goal of the season in his 13th start with SDFC.
· Onni Valakari registered a goal and two assists tonight, contributing in all three of SDFC’s goals.
· Team captain Jeppe Tverskov registered his seventh assist on Bombino’s goal tonight.
· 19-year-old defender Oscar Verhoeven made his seventh start with SDFC, his eighth appearance with the Club and his 16th MLS career appearance.
· Defender Paddy McNair was back in the starting lineup and back in action for the first time since suffering a lower body injury against Austin FC on May 31.
· Aníbal Godoy was back in the starting XI for SDFC after finishing national team duty (Panama).
· Defender Christopher McVey registered his 98th MLS regular season appearance tonight. Overall, McVey has 99 MLS appearances across all competitions including MLS Playoffs.
· SDFC was without seven players tonight, including Luca De La Torre (United States) who is on national team duty.
Next Game
SDFC heads back on the road to face Chicago Fire on Saturday, July 12 at Soldier Field in its first-ever match against the Eastern Conference side. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. PT, with live coverage available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as English and Spanish radio broadcasts on San Diego Sports 760 AM and TUDN 1700 AM.
Match Information
2025 MLS Regular Season
San Diego FC (12-6-3, 39 pts) vs. Houston Dynamo FC (7-9-5, 26 pts)
Saturday, July 5, 2025 – Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
Scoring Summary:
SD (1-0) – Milan Iloski (Assisted by Onni Valakari and Luca Bombino), 25’
HOU (1-1) – Lawrence Ennali (Assisted by Amine Bassi), 36’
HOU (2-1) – Franco Escobar (Assisted by Ethan Bartlow), 45+3
SD (2-2) – Luca Bombino (Assisted by Onni Valakari), 54’
SD (3-2) – Onni Valakari, 67’
HOU (3-3) – Ezequiel Ponce (Penalty Kikc) 87’
HOU (3-4) – Ezequiel Ponce (Ethan Bartlow), 90+10
Misconduct Summary:
HOU – Ondrej Lingr (caution, 53’)
HOU – Felipe Andrade (caution 58’)
HOU – Ethan Bartlow (caution 62’)
SD – CJ Dos Santos (caution 84’)
HOU – Amine Bassi (caution 90+1)
HOU – Duane Holmes (caution 90+2)
HOU – Erik Duenas (caution 90+14)
Lineups:
SAN DIEGO FC: GK CJ Dos Santos; D Paddy McNair (Ian Pilcher, 56’), D Oscar Verhoeven, D Christopher McVey, D Luca Bombino; M Onni Valakari, M Jeppe Tverskov -C-, M Aníbal Godoy (Tomás Ángel, 90’), F Anders Dreyer, F Milan Iloski, F Alex Mighten (Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, 56’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Pablo Sisniega, M Manu Duah, M Heine Bruseth, D Franco Negri, D Jasper Löffelsend, F Emmanuel Boateng
TOTAL SHOTS: 14; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES; 1
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC: GK Jonathan Bond, D Ethan Bartlow, D Franco Escobar, D Felipe Andrade, D Pablo Ortiz, D Artur –C-, M Brooklyn Raines, M Lawrence Ennali (Duane Holmes, 62’), M Amine Bassi (Griffin Dorsey, 90+15), F Ezequiel Ponce, F Ondrej Lingr (Erik Dueñas, 76’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Jimmy Maurer, D Daniel Steres, F Toyosi Olusanya, F Gabriel Segal, D Femi Awodesu, M Junior Urso.
TOTAL SHOTS: 8; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 15; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 4
Referee: Timothy Ford
Assistant Referees: Kevin Lock, Mike Nickerson
Fourth Official: Servando Berna
VAR: Kevin Stott
AVAR: Robert Schaap
Weather: 69-degrees, Sunny
Attendance: 28,321
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
SDFC HEAD COACH MIKEY VARAS
On what the difference was tonight:
“We didn’t play well. We didn’t play within our principles for long enough, we weren’t collective enough and we strayed a bit tonight. Even when we’re, you know- we probably put about 20 minutes of good football together. At the first team level, that’s not good enough, you know. Otherwise, you leave it open for anything to happen.”
On the team’s defensive effort tonight:
“Yeah, I think we were, like I said, we didn’t play well tonight. And the first and foremost, the collective connection of the group wasn’t there. The consistency of our principals wasn’t there, the intensity of our actions weren’t there and then we didn’t have the quality on the night in certain moments. So definitely there were some individual errors, but all of those things come from the fact that we just weren’t good enough as a group. And listen, that starts with me. So, you know, I put my hand up there, the same as all the players will.”
On the mindset of going from the hunter to the hunted:
“I’ve felt that for a while now. I think teams have shown a lot of respect for what we’ve done so far this season, in terms of our style of play. So, I feel like every team has come here and put on a really good performance, and when we go away also. So, I don’t think that has anything to do with it. I think the main thing about the top of the table, top of the table means nothing midway through the season. That’s what everybody’s kind of got to understand. Means nothing. It means that’s where we are right now, at this present moment. But we can’t forget what has gotten us there, and the fact that we still have a whole half of a season to play. And every day we step out and represent the club, we need to remember that it’s a tremendous responsibility and it’s a tremendous honor, and so I think the most important thing is a reflection inward, you know? I’ll certainly do that.”
SDFC MIDFIELDER JEPPE TVERSKOV
Opening statement:
On a challenging match tonight:
“They started going, going high on us from very early. And I think they succeeded very well the first, yeah, especially 15, 20 minutes, they kind of went man to man, which sometimes can be difficult, but can also create opportunities for us. And yeah, it was for us to read the game. And I think after the 20th minute we kind of got better and better into the game. But yeah, it’s a good team. They were also comfortable on the ball. And yeah, we had trouble pressing them high and being able to catch the ball in good position, so credit to them for also making it a good game.”
On his role as team captain to get the team to bounce back:
“I think first of all, is analyzing the game, because I think we know we did a lot of things wrong. I think it’s also a lot of sloppy goals tonight for us that’s hard to look at, but it needs to be done. And then it’s also to remember that not so while ago, we’ve also played very good games, and that’s also part of football that you don’t win every game, and you don’t play every game perfect. So yeah, it’s for us to look in the mirror a little bit but also see ahead.”
On the team not playing to its structure and where they lost the structure:
““I think we lose it in the moments that where it’s easy to say, but, but the goals are kind of like individual, different mistakes from us that doesn’t look like us, like their first goal, they score from one of our corners, where we usually know how we want to attack, but we also know how we want to defend, around the box to make sure that that a counter site like this doesn’t happen. And then yeah, I feel like a second and third goal is kind of like a little bit, little bit odd goals. So yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s difficult to kind of analyze right now, but it feels like the goal itself kind of ruined our rhythm a little bit to make us not be as comfortable within our structure as we usually have been.”
On Houston’s last goal:
“That’s one of those that hurts a lot because, yeah, we know how we want to defend and looking back at that, there was, there was a player with the right intentions, getting into the right positions, but kind of not staying within the positions we agreed on, and that made kind of a big hole in in the game. And that’s unfortunate. And yeah, in the 100 minutes or whatever was, people punish that. So yeah, that’s one of those we got to look at, because it’s going to be talk looking at. But yeah, whoever plays or whoever in is in those position that cannot happen.”
On Houston’s talent matching SDFC tonight:
“I think from day one, we have known that our strength is our collective and our team performance, as you also have seen a lot of times, we play within a style that favors a team and not individual players only. So, we are good because we are good as a team. So that’s 100-percent correct, but yeah, this is hopefully a one off, and hopefully we are back to what you see normally next week.”
SDFC MIDFIELDER ONNI VALAKARI
On tonight’s result:
“Obviously, really disappointed in the result today at home. After three away matches, expected to win at home, so disappointed in that. The game– I think we were lacking a little bit, our style in some moments. Obviously, some moments were good also, and we have to work on them again, but the bad moments, we have to get a little bit better. Yeah, the goal, 3-2, I thought we’re going to go on and score 4-2, but obviously lost the game today. So just really, really disappointed, don’t really know what to say. Now just recover from this game. Next game, Chicago away and, yeah, go there with a different mentality, step up the whole team and get back on winning ways.”
On if he has ever played 17 minutes of stoppage time before:
“I don’t remember [laughs] but it was a long, long, long extra time. But I thought when it was 3-3, that I wanted a long extra time, that we had a chance to score 4-3, but it went the other way today and really disappointed in that.”
On his versatility and playing in the midfield tonight:
“Like you said, I’ve played in a lot of different positions, it hasn’t been a problem for me. I think I can adapt to different positions, if it’s up top, wing, midfield, different positions in midfield, number six, number ten, I think I can adapt well. There’s good players around me that help me also. Whatever position I play, I try to do what the game asks me to do. Because our style is so clear, so it doesn’t really matter what position you play because you know your role in each position and I think I can adapt to every position. I’ve just been enjoying playing and it doesn’t really matter where I play.”
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About San Diego FC
San Diego FC is Major League Soccer’s 30th Club, competing in its inaugural season at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025. The Club is jointly owned by Sir Mohamed Mansour, a distinguished entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist with global ties in the sport, and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the first Native American tribe with a significant ownership stake in a men’s professional team across all major sports leagues. Manny Machado, San Diego’s perennial MLB All-Star, is an investor in the Club, alongside other high-profile partners including World Cup champion Juan Mata, Emmy-nominated actress and producer Issa Rae, and Grammy Award-winning artist Tems. San Diego FC is a proud member of the Right to Dream community, a global network of youth academies and professional football clubs. San Diego FC’s stated vision is to become the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America.
