If the Union looked a little tired against Charlotte, they have the right to be
MLS has piled games into its calendar since the World Cup. It's affecting the Union and every team in the league. Plus, a look at a notable milestone that Milan Iloski is approaching.
No one in sports likes to say they’re tired. But they’re all humans, and so are we, the people who watch them.
Those of us who don’t do all the running, jumping, shooting, and tackling might be able to notice when a team looks low on gas. In the Union’s case, they have every right to be.
All of Major League Soccer does, in fact, because of how crowded the calendar has been since the World Cup break. There were 15 rounds of league games in three months before the tournament, and there will have been 19 more matches in three and a half months (plus the Leagues Cup) since play resumed (in the Union’s case) on July 22, until the regular season finale on Nov. 7.
Then, of course, add in the players who played in the World Cup, so didn’t get as much of the summer off. And while the recent FIFA window gave some a breather, it wasn’t much. On top of the many MLS players who spent that four-game stretch with their countries, the league played a full round of games during the window because it was out of room elsewhere.
Union goalkeeper Andre Blake has played 11 games between his club and Jamaica since the start of September, and Danley Jean Jacques has played 10 between the Union and Haiti. Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, and Frankie Westfield also have a lot in their legs, and while they’re young, the FIFA window was their first time not just playing at that level, but flying all over the country to do so.
When they returned to the field in Chester on Oct. 8, it was two days after the U.S.-Mexico game in Glendale, Ariz., and two days before the Union’s game against Real Salt Lake. Four days later, they were at Chicago, and three days after that, they were at Subaru Park to face Charlotte on Saturday.
Add all that up, and it makes sense that the Union felt a step slower than usual in the 2-2 tie.
» READ MORE: Union push unbeaten streak to 15 games with 2-2 tie vs. Charlotte FC
That doesn’t excuse Nathan Harriel being in the middle of both Charlotte goals, or Milan Iloski hitting the bar from the doorstep on a shot that would have given the Union a lead – a miss he promptly acknowledged after the game.
It just means a bit of common sense is in order, as the Union finally now get a midweek without a game before Saturday’s big home contest against the New England Revolution (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
“Of course we’re going to be tired,” Iloski said. “We have a good group, so we’re doing everything we can, and we’re doing all the treatments and stuff to recover to the best of our ability. But it’s a seven-point week with some tough games, so we’ll take it and we’ll move on … Now we have a normal week, so get back to resting and get back to as close to 100% as we can.”
It’s a test for interim manager Ryan Richter, too. He knows lineup rotation is in order, but he’s down a defensive midfielder after Jesús Bueno suffered a hamstring injury in Chicago. So while Jean Jacques returned Saturday from his own brief absence with a foot issue, Richter had to hope Jean Jacques made it the whole game.
» READ MORE: The Union earned a statement win in Chicago, but Ryan Richter is as level-headed as ever
“You’re constantly checking with guys individually who you think might be feeling something, but you’re also just assessing how they’re playing,” Richter said. “Are they continuing to make the recovery runs? Are we continuing to be dynamic in the attack? For the most part, I think our guys held up, and they looked like they were continuing to push for for the third goal.”
As such, he said, he felt “we had to trust the guys that were on the field.”
So he did, making just two substitutions on Saturday, fewer than usual.
Iloski nears another milestone
Though Milan Iloski is best known to many fans for his time with San Diego FC and the Union, some recall his previous playing days with Orange County SC of the second-tier USL Championship from 2022-24.
After Iloski converted his penalty kick during Saturday’s game, one of the USL’s spokespeople sent over a note with an interesting stat. The striker is now one goal away from becoming the first player to score 20 goals in a league season in MLS and 20 goals in the USL Championship division.
» READ MORE: Malik Jakupović is the Union’s new hot prospect. Here’s why the team is being patient with him.
That will be a nice title for Iloski to have if he can get it, and there’s every reason to think he will. It’s also a reminder that the 27-year-old’s journey in the sport has not been a straight line.
After college at UCLA, he was drafted by Real Salt Lake in 2020, but he only played two games for the first team there. So he went to the USL’s Orange County SC in 2022, and that’s where he started to take off.
He tallied 43 goals and 11 assists in 70 games there, including 22 in his first season. Two years later, he earned a move to Denmark’s FC Nordsjælland, which shares ownership with San Diego. That led to a loan to his hometown club, where he succeeded but couldn’t come to terms on a new contract. That’s how the door opened for him to join the Union.
Now there’s a milestone in sight, and Iloski appreciates its symbolism.
“It says a lot, I think,” Iloski said. “I didn’t have the easiest run as a young player, and Orange County gave me a great opportunity to just play games and have fun and get back to scoring goals, and I’ve kind of just ran from there. Now I’m back in MLS and doing it at a higher level, but showing I can still keep that same productivity. So for me, it’s a big deal, and it’s a pretty cool stat.”
» READ MORE: How far can the Union go this year? As far as Bruno Damiani can take them
Richter appreciates Iloski’s career path. He spent most of his seven pro seasons in lower leagues, earning stints with the Union and Toronto FC but not playing much at either.
“It keeps that chip on your shoulder that you always have something to prove, because people didn’t believe in you the way that the people here believe in him,” Richter said. “It’s great to see this kind of story of someone who, yeah, it doesn’t just go perfect from the beginning, but they’re still able to to get to a really high level and operate at a really high level. That speaks to his character, his work ethic, his determination, his resilience. We’re happy for him, for the season that he’s having, and we’re happy to have him in our team.”
