Players face their old teams all the time in every sport. So Milan Iloski knows there’s nothing new about what he’ll go through this Sunday when the Union visit San Diego FC (9 p.m., Apple TV).
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But this one does mean a lot, and not just because it’s his first game against San Diego since leaving there to come east just over a year ago. Or even factoring in that he’s from Escondido, Calif., a northern suburb of San Diego, which should make for a lot of Iloski jerseys in the stands.
“I talked to the team administrator over there, and I talked to our guys here and told them to send me whatever you got,” he said regarding finding complimentary tickets for folks. All agreed, Iloski expects a final total “anywhere from 75 to 100.”
They will show up to watch a player who feels he has a point to prove, after a somewhat fractious departure. Iloski was initially in San Diego on a four-month loan from Denmark’s FC Nordsjælland, a team with the same owner through the Right To Dream player development network.
Negotiations took place regarding a full deal, but the sides couldn’t agree on terms. So Iloski departed and arrived in Chester soon afterward.
2️⃣ goals in 2️⃣ minutes for Milan Iloski! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/MtsF747kwC
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2025
“I loved my time there and I have nothing but positive things to say about most of the people,” he said, particularly players who took him in and a coaching staff with many San Diego-area natives. “It’ll be nice to see them. But also, I’m there to show some people that they made a big mistake. I think I have a big chip on my shoulder, and I’m looking forward to the challenge, and they’re a good team that’s playing well.”
That will be one storyline on Sunday. The Union’s resurgence since the World Cup will be another — and it will certainly put Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, and Frankie Westfield in the spotlight, in the weekend before Mauricio Pochettino picks the U.S. roster for the upcoming friendlies.
Perhaps Quinn Sullivan will get some attention too, and he deserves it. His all-around game against Cincinnati on Wednesday showed that while he isn’t quite fit for a full 90 minutes yet, he’s back to his pre-injury quality.
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If he continues, he might also get calls for a national team return down the road. He hasn’t forgotten walking down the hall at Subaru Park with Mauricio Pochettino last October, a few months after making his senior U.S. debut.
Quinn Sullivan met Mauricio Pochettino at the mixed zone to walk (gingerly) toward the #USMNT locker room, which is the Union locker room.
Nathan Harriel and Alejandro Bedoya followed a few steps later.
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— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) November 15, 2025 at 7:56 PM
“I think everyone’s excited for an opportunity,” Sullivan said. “That was such a special honor to represent the team, and I want to do it again. I know the coaches watch all the games, and all we can do is continue to perform. And I know if the opportunity presents itself, everyone will be ready.”
San Diego is also great at developing young players. Recent examples include 20-year-old left back Luca Bombino, just sold to English second-division club Stoke City for $5 million; 21-year-old centerback Manu Duah, who just signed a contract extension; and 20-year-old former Union midfielder David Vazquez. He’s now in his second year out west, and will face his old club for the first time.
In a league so often headlined by veteran stars — Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Antoine Griezmann, and so on — it will be fun to see two teams that value homegrown talent get center stage.
“It’s a similar business model, I would say, similar team model, to have a lot of young guys mixed in with some older guys who they can lean on and gain some experience with,” Iloski said. “It says a lot for them, and for us as well, that there’s a lot of good players in America, and there’s a lot of players that slip through the pipeline. And hopefully this new era coming up, with the Bombinos and the Sullivans, and Frankie and Neil, and the Manu Duahs and those kinds of guys, hopefully it’s a stepping stone for the future, and more teams see that success can be found in a lot of young players.”
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