Forward Milan Iloski scored a team-record four goals in his first MLS start, boosting San Diego FC to a 5-3 victory over the host Whitecaps on Wednesday and into first place in the Western Conference by a point over Vancouver.
In a nine-minute span in the first half, Iloski notched the first hat trick in team history, then added his fourth tally two minutes into the second half. He has seven goals in the last three matches and nine overall in 12 games for San Diego (11-5-3, 36 points).
A slew of absences for the Whitecaps (10-3-5, 35 points) became increasingly glaring as the match went on. Among those missing for the home side were leading goal scorer Brian White and star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter as Vancouver lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
In the 35th minute. Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka did well to stop Iloski’s powerful first strike, but the rebound hopped back to Iloski, who made no mistake slotting it past Takaoka.
Iloski doubled up two minutes later, finding himself with an llarge lane towards goal. He sauntered into the box and easily placed it into the left corner past Takaoka.
A native of Escondido, Calif., about a half-hour drive from San Diego, Iloski bagged his hat trick in the 44th minute with a spectacular score. He met MLS goal contributions leader Anders Dreyer’s long, blazing run up the right flank with an uncontested diving header, floating into the top left corner of goal.
Iloski celebrated his fourth and final goal, off another perfectly placed through ball from Dreyer in the 47th minute, with a nonchalant shrug.
Strikes in the 43rd and 66th minutes from Edier Ocampo and substitute Mathias Laborda were all the Whitecaps could put behind San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos in regulation, though Antoine Coupland scored in stoppage time in his MLS debut.
Substitute Tomas Angel scored for San Diego in the 90th minute.
–Field Level Media
