San Diego’s professional women’s soccer franchise – the San Diego Wave FC — is taking the month of July off from regular season matches to observe FIFA’s international window.
The Wave (7-3-3, 24 points) is entering the break with some genuine momentum after climbing the National Women’s Soccer League standings to third place following a 6-1-2 run (six wins, one loss, two ties) over the team’s last nine matches.
The Wave defeated the host Houston Dash, 3-2, in a June 13 road game and followed that with a scoreless draw against the Washington Spirit (7-4-2, 23 points) Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.
San Diego received goals from Kenza Dali, Adriana Leon and Maria Sanchez to collect its fourth consecutive road victory. The Wave built a 3-0 lead in the game over the Dash (3-7-2, 11 points).
The West Coast visitors recorded an 18-11 edge in shots with a 10-3 margin in shots on frame.
Leon, making her 100th NWSL regular season appearance; became the 11th player in league history to score in her 100th match. The goal was her team-leading fourth of the season.
Photos by Andy Barottto
San Diego dictated much of the match offensively against Washington with a 16-7 shot advantage (6-3 in shots on target) though neither team was able to dent the other’s net.
The result marked the 40th NWSL shutout for Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
The hosts earned one standing point with the draw to inch closer to the KC Current (11-2-0, 33 points) and Orlando Pride (8-4-1, 25 points).
The Wave transferred Sanchez to Mexican club Tigres UNAL Feminil on June 23. In 40 matches with San Diego, Sanchez had accumulated nine goals and seven assists. She was acquired in April 2024 after 62 matches with Houston where she had complied eight goals and 14 assists.
Sanchez had three goals with the Wave this season.She thanked San Diego fans for their support over the past two years.
The Wave will resume NWSL action Aug. 2 with a road match against the North Carolina Courage (5-5-3, 18 points) and return to Snapdragon Stadium on Aug. 9 with a rivalry match against L.A.’s Angel City FC (4-6-3, 15 points).
The Wave will entertain season ticket holders with a July 12 exhibition match against the Utah Royals at Torero Stadium. The teams rematch July 20 in Utah.
The Wave will honor U.S. international Alex Morgan by permanently retiring her No. 13 Wave jersey on Sept. 7.
MLS plays on
Major League Soccer will continue regular season play during FIFA’s International month, though without nearl,y 140 players who have international commitments, including World Cup qualifiers, Gold Cup matches and friendlies.
Six players from San Diego FC are affected: defender Luca Bombino (USA U20), midfielder Luca de la Torre (USA), forward Anders Dreyer (Denmark), midfielder Anibal Godoy (Panama)m defender Paddy McNair (Northern Ireland) and midfielder Onni Valakari (Finland).
Competition is also ongoing with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across venues in the United States from June 14 to July 13.
MLS is represented in the 32-team competition by the LAFC, Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami CF. Mexican sides include Monterrey and Pachuca. Buenos Aires teams include Boca Juniors and River Plate while Rio de Janeiro teams include Botalfogo, Flamengo and Fluminense.
There are European qualifiers, including Madrid teams Athletico Madrid and Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan from Italy, Chelsea and Manchester City from England and Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich from Germany, anong others.
U.S. venues include Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Rutherforld, Miami Gardens, Nashville, Orlando, Pasadena, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
UCLA (Inter Milan), Loyola Marymount University (Monterrey), UC Irvine (Paris St. Germain) and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Athletico Madrid) served as training grounds.
There are eight groups of four teams each that will siphon teams into knock-out play.
Advancing from Group A are Palmeiras (Brazil), Inter Miami CF; St. Germain (France) and Botafogo (Brazil) from Group B; Beneficia (Portugal) and Bayern Munich (Germany) from Group C; Flemengo (Brazil) and Chelsea (England) from Group D; Inter Milan (Italy) and Monterrey (Mexico) from Group F; Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Fluminense (Brazil) from Group F; and Manchester City (England) and Jiventus (Italy) from Group G.
Manchester City advanced undefeated to bracket play with three wins and a +11 goal-differential.
Best in the West
San Diego FC forward Milan Iloski was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday 20 of the 2025 MLS season.
The 25-year-old forward tallied the fastest four goals in MLS history on Wednesday, June 25, scoring four times from the 35th to 47th minute in San Diego’s 5-3 win against the host Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Watch MLS Wrap-Up Discuss Iloski’s Performance Here). The victory against a fellow Western Conference contender catapulted San Diego to first place in the conference standings as the first-year club continues its red-hot start with 36 points (11-5-3) through its first 19 matches.
The milestone performance marked Iloski’s first career MLS start as well as San Diego FC’s first-ever hat trick and four-goal performance. He’s the 10th player in league history to score three goals in 10 minutes or less as the offensive outburst continued a searing scoring streak for the 25-year-old forward. He’s netted seven goals in the last three matches over the course of 135 minutes and now has nine tallies on the season in just 292 minutes. It’s the fewest minutes for a player to reach nine goals in league history, surpassing Adama Diomande’s nine goals in 472 minutes played in 2018.
San Diego is aiming to become the second expansion team in three seasons to finish first in the conference standings, following St. Louis CITY SC in 2023. It was a statement win for San Diego against Vancouver, who has led the Supporters’ Shield race for much of the season. The first-year club returns to action this weekend at FC Dallas on Saturday, June 28 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
After a scoreless first half-hour to open the clash at the top of the Western Conference standings, Iloski broke the deadlock in the 35th minute. Working down the left side, forward Alex Mighten played it to Iloski, who dribbled through the Vancouver defense before ripping a shot from just inside the 18. Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made the initial save at the left post, but Iloski was there to pounce on the rebound and send it to the opposite side of the net (Watch Here ). The second came as All-Star midfielder Andres Dreyer got on the end of a through ball and laid it off for Iloski on the left wing. He dribbled into the box before firing his second past Takaoka in the 37th (Watch Here).
After Vancouver pulled one back in the 43rd, Dreyer drove down the right flank to tee up Iloski’s hat trick. He launched a cross into the box and Iloski met it with a diving header from eight yards out to reestablish San Diego’s two-goal advantage (Watch Here ). The forward’s fourth and final came just after the break on a quick attacking run as Dreyer played a through ball downfield to Iloski driving down the right side. After a nice dummy from Mighten, Iloski dashed past the defense and sent it to the middle of the net from 13 yards out in the 47th minute (Watch Here).
With Iloski’s Player of the Matchday award, San Diego becomes the first club to have three players win weekly honors this season. Dreyer took home the award for Matchday 1 after bagging a brace in the club’s season-opening win against reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion LA Galaxy and fellow All-Star Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano took it home for Matchday 11 after scoring twice and adding two assists in a 5-0 win vs. FC Dallas.
San Diego previously defeated Minnesota, 4-2, on June 14 courtesy of two goals from Dreyer and two goals from Iloski.
