San Diego FC acquired Escondido native Milan Iloski on loan from FC Nordsjaelland on Wednesday, adding some valuable depth at forward.
SDFC will be without forward Marcus Ingvartsen for months as he recovers from what the club says is a lower-body injury, and winger Emmanuel Boateng hasn’t played since March 8 because of a lower-body injury of his own.
The injuries could create an opportunity for Iloski, 25, to make an impact. He attended San Pasqual High School and played collegiately at UCLA. He was a star for Orange County SC of USL Championship, netting 22 goals and winning the USL Golden Boot in 2022. He remains the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Iloski signed with FC Nordsjaelland in January 2024, and scored twice while making 18 appearances with the Danish club.
FC Nordsjaelland, like San Diego FC, is part of the Right to Dream network of clubs. The teams play a similar style, which should allow Iloski to get up to speed quickly. The club was previously home to both Ingvartsen and defender and team captain Jeppe Tverskov. Goalkeeper Duran Ferree, a San Diego native and the first signee in SDFC history, is currently on loan to Nordsjaelland.
“Milan is an attacker who has proven he can score goals and impact the game in the final third throughout his career,” SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps said. “He has had a positive impact at FCN, and his time there will allow him to integrate quickly within the principles and group. On top of that, bringing another San Diego native back home is special, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to SDFC as a valuable addition to our attack.”
Iloski becomes the third native San Diegan on SDFC’s internationally driven roster. Starting midfielder Luca de la Torre attended Torrey Pines High School before turning pro, and backup goalie Jacob Jackson attended Rancho Bernardo High School and played for the San Diego Surf club team.
San Diego (3-1-2) hosts the Seattle Sounders (1-2-3) on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. The match starts at 7:30 p.m.
