Rejuvenated Toronto FC set for Djordje Mihailovic's home debut against Columbus Crew
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Amid a flurry of transactions, TFC will return home after more than a month away on Saturday to host the Columbus Crew and the club's newest designated player, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, will be front and centre.
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Asked for his initial impressions on Mihailovic after a week with TFC, head coach Robin Fraser put it succinctly: 'he's really good.'
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'Watching him play, his ability to handle the ball in tight spaces, his ability to find solutions and execute them — all while it looks like he's having a stroll in the park — is pretty cool,' said Fraser. 'He's just a very aware player who's very capable of exploiting situations that he sees.'
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Mihailovic, the 26-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla., came to Toronto earlier in August in a cash deal with the Colorado Rapids worth up to US$9 million. He then signed on with Toronto FC as a designated player through the 2028 season with a club option for 2029.
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The American seemed to make an immediate impact during his TFC debut, starting in an impressive 1-1 away draw against the conference-leading Philadelphia Union that snapped a two-game skid.
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Fraser said that quick comfort has extended off the pitch, too.
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'He's just one of the guys in the locker room. He obviously carries weight and influence because of the title that goes with him, but he doesn't carry himself like he's better than anyone, he doesn't look down at anyone,' Fraser said.
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'Real excited about where we're going and the fact that he's been a part of it.'
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Richie Laryea, the TFC veteran, agreed that Mihailovic's early fit has been seamless.
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'Even from the first session he was in and then to the game that he played against Philly — that's a tough place for anyone to have their first game is away at Philly — and I think he did pretty well. He has a ton of quality and he's going to help us a lot for years to come,' Laryea said.
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It's been a busy stretch of transactions for TFC between bringing in Mihailovic and cutting ties with big-name Italian imports Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi in July.
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In the days after the Mihailovic move, the team loaned forward Charlie Sharp to the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League and signed Malik Henry to a first-team deal from TFC II.
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On Wednesday, TFC dealt midfielder Matty Longstaff to CF Montreal for forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and up to $275,000 in General Allocation Money. Fraser said Vilsaint could play on Saturday.
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