San Diego FC Falls, 4-3, to Houston Dynamo at Snapdragon Stadium

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MLS San Diego FC

San Diego FC Falls, 4-3, to Houston Dynamo at Snapdragon Stadium

July 6, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Diego FC News Release


SAN DIEGO - 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 - 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

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