Road Warriors

San Diego FC won their fourth straight and seventh overall road game last weekend against the Chicago Fire. That is not an easy feat, by any means. In fact, the only other team with seven total road victories in the league is Cincinnati.

Chicago didn’t make it easy for SDFC. They came out of the gates pressing high and forcing turnovers, similar to how Houston played. San Diego looked shaky at the back as they struggled to absorb pressure, committing three costly turnovers—one of which nearly resulted in a goal, if not for a stunning save by Pablo Sisniega.

Next Man Up

In what should be a top-five save of the year, Sisniega was caught off his line when the SDFC defense turned over the ball during a sloppy pass under pressure. Chicago’s Brian Gutierrez curled a well-placed shot from outside the box, only for Sisniega to make a diving stop.

CJ Dos Santos was listed as questionable before the starting whistle and was not available off the bench. The team has not disclosed the injury to the public, but one can only guess Dos Santos is dealing with a fractured nose. Dos Santos suffered a visibly bad injury when he absorbed an elbow to the face in the Houston game, but remained in to finish out the match.

Like a backup quarterback in the NFL, chances to start for a backup keeper do not come often, but when they do – a player needs to take full advantage to showcase themselves. Sisniega played with confidence, making three saves and allowing a goal that wasn’t his fault. Was his performance good enough to warrant him starting games over Dos Santos? It remains to be seen.  

Let’s take it back to Pablo’s Surreal Save. 🚫 pic.twitter.com/msuaCBH1KT

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) July 13, 2025

A Good Problem to Have?

San Diego FC finds itself in a situation where it is now rostering four goalkeepers. Duran Ferree, who was the first official player signed to SDFC, made his return from FC Nordsjælland (FCN) after his loan ended in June. This means he is officially part of the San Diego roster unless the team decides to loan him out again.

Carrying four goalkeepers would be excessive. Duran Ferree is young and clearly talented, but with three established options already in place, there’s no realistic path for him to earn starts at this time. Another loan spell appears likely. Meanwhile, SDFC will navigate the decision of whether to keep starting Sisniega or Dos Santos, whom the club recently committed to via a contract extension.

Many Goals Scored, Many Goals Conceded

San Diego exploited the space behind Chicago’s high back line, scoring both goals through well-timed runs in behind. The team seems better at understanding and implementing Mikey Varas’ offensive strategies, and it’s paying dividends. SDFC currently leads all MLS teams in goals scored (46).

On the other side of the spectrum, things haven’t been great defensively. Varas warned that by playing in the SDFC system, they would expose themselves to be vulnerable in the back. In the last five games, SDFC have conceded 12 goals – perhaps a cry for more depth during the summer transfer window.  

Brace for Anders…

…dude’s an absolute menace pic.twitter.com/87ITBgcGPY — San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) July 13, 2025

Facing Toronto FC

This week brings two Canadian teams to the shores of San Diego, as SDFC takes on Toronto on Wednesday and faces a rematch with Vancouver on Saturday. It will be the first time Toronto and San Diego have played each other.

Toronto FC comes in sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 4-6-11. The Canadian side is last in the league for shots taken and second-to-last for shots taken on target. The departure of Federico Berardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne midway through this season played a big part in those statistics.

The former Juventus duo were among the top contributors to the team, but their contracts proved too burdensome. Bernardeschi was the 5th-highest earner in MLS and Insigne second, only behind Lionel Messi.

Dreyer On Fire

It’s possible that Toronto will look to play for a tie and view leaving a raucous Snapdragon Stadium with a point as a win. San Diego FC will need to exploit the midfield space that will be given to them due to Toronto’s deep backline and a willingness to defend.

Anders Dreyer continues to shine bright for San Diego. By many accounts, the Dane is currently in the lead for MLS MVP, ahead of Lionel Messi. Dreyer currently leads the league in assists (14) as well as goal contributions (25). San Diego will lean heavily on Chucky Lozano, who had two assists in the last game, to continue the much successful linkup play between the duo.

The Ballad of Milan Iloski

San Diego FC will have to beat Toronto without local star Milan Iloski. According to breaking news, the club announced today that Milan Iloski and SDFC were unable to reach a contract agreement, which expires at the end of July. Multiple sources cited a difference in contract value as the reason for the split.

Most would say Iloski earned the right to be paid substantially more than the $156,000 salary he is currently making. Details on what was offered vs what was asked are still unknown. Clearly, the club was unable to fulfill Iloski’s salary request due to many other factors. One factor in particular has to be roster depth construction in the upcoming summer transfer window. SDFC are in need of defensive and midfield reinforcements.

One could question Iloski’s decision to go back to FCN after what he’s done in San Diego. He leaves behind an unfinished legacy – one that could have gone down in the record books. The thought of Iloski being the all-time leading scorer, as well as SDFC winning the cup in their first year, is not entirely crazy to believe, considering everything that has transpired to date. As he makes his return to European football, what would’ve been of Milan Iloski will remain a mystery.  

Thank You, Milan Forward Milan Iloski returns to FC Nordsjælland following Mutual Loan Termination. Woven into our History. pic.twitter.com/ySpfnY5xJX

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) July 15, 2025

Looking Ahead

The next three weeks will be demanding for SDFC, with a packed schedule of matches and preparations ramping up for the Leagues Cup at month’s end. Season-ending injuries to Alejandro Alvarado and Andrés Reyes, along with the departures of Heine Bruseth and Milan Iloski, have left clear gaps in the roster. If SDFC hopes to stay competitive through this stretch, reinforcements will be essential.

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Dmitry Anisimov

Dmitry Anisimov is a San Diego native who played soccer up to the college level when he represented the SDSU Men’s Club Soccer team. Growing up in San Diego, Dmitry is a fan of all the home teams but he specifically couldn’t wait until San Diego got an MLS team. Once that dream became reality, Dmitry married his love for writing and the game of soccer to portray a voice of the San Diego soccer community. There is a deep-rooted love of soccer culture in San Diego and Dmitry hopes to bring it to light through his pre and post-game coverage of all things San Diego FC.