Toronto FC calls Mihailovic the team's new ‘reference point,' with more help to come

Winnipeg Free Press

4 days ago

TORONTO – Djordje Mihailovic says he was drawn to Toronto FC by the opportunity to add to its winning tradition. Now it's up to the MLS club to surround the star playmaker with the talent to get the franchise back to those lofty heights.
With some 17 players on contracts that expire at the end of the year — albeit with TFC holding club options on all of them save veteran defender Kevin Long — general manager Jason Hernandez and coach Robin Fraser have the ability to clear the decks as needed.
Toronto, which sits 12th in the Eastern Conference at 5-13-6, has been without a designated player and star power since buying out the contracts of Italians Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi in early July.
Mihailovic, who cost Toronto $8 million (all figures in U.S. dollars) in transfer fees plus a conditional extra $1 million if certain performance metrics are met, is a terrific piece to build around.
Able to score goals and make them, the former Colorado Rapids attacking midfielder brings the kind of creativity and panache Toronto once boasted in the form of Sebastian Giovinco, Victor Vazquez and Alejandro Pozuelo. And at 26, the U.S. international arrives with a long runway — and knowledge of the league.
Mihailovic is dangerous from set pieces and is a reliable penalty-taker. He also has the knack of being in the right place at the right time, able to finding creases in opposing defences.
The hope is those skills represent the rising tide that helps lift TFC back to its winning ways.
'When I hear Toronto FC, all I think about is the (2017) treble, trophies, the MVP players before me,' Mihailovic told a news conference after his first training sessions in TFC colours. 'And you think of just a massive club. That was how it was when I first came into the league (in 2017 with Chicago). That thought alone drew me, immediately.'
Understandably there were smiles all round Friday as Toronto unveiled its prized new asset, with wife Ajla (pronounced EYE-lah) and young son Aleksi also in attendance. But Fraser and Hernandez both offered a dose of realism among the celebration.
'Certainly for us to be successful, it can't be about just one player,' Fraser said. 'But we feel like we're in the process of building a style of play, an identity that if we can get into deep parts of the field, then we're talking about trying to add some precision to really take advantage of some of those attacks. And certainly bringing Djordje here is the first step.'
Added Hernandez: 'Djordje is going to give us a massive boost in so many ways. However, he needs to be only just the beginning. And we need to continue to try to improve all parts of the team … This is a great step one, a great pillar, a great foundational piece.'
The GM will look to build around Mihailovic, calling him TFC's new 'reference point'
Mihailovic could see his first action Saturday when Toronto visits the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union (15-5-5).
'Not sure if Djordje plays or not … We're preparing for anything,' said Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell. 'We're preparing for their best and they have a pretty good squad.'
Just how good will be determined over the next 10 games. And while Fraser says the team, which enters the weekend 14 points below the playoff line, is now in 'must-win' mode, this season is more about the future than the present.
Jobs are on the line.
'Every one has a chance to put their best foot forward and make a case for why they should be part of the project moving forward,' said Hernandez
Most agree Toronto is better than its record indicates. And Fraser sees progression.
'I do feel like we have a little bit more of an idea of how we want to play. And I think it's starting to show week-in and week-out,' he said.
But while its defence, despite a plague of injuries, has improved under Fraser, a former two-time MLS Defender of the Year, the offence has been inconsistent at best.
TFC ranks 13th in the league on defence but 26th on offence, scoring just 25 goals in 24 games.
Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu leads the side with five goals while Honduran Deybi Flores, a defensive-minded midfielder, tops the team with two assists.
Mihailovic, meanwhile, has scored 48 goals and added 63 assists in 243 games during a pro career in MLS and Europe.
The five-foot-10 153-pounder scored 23 goals and added 22 assists in 63 appearances in all competitions with Colorado since joining the club as a DP in January 2024. The Florida native had nine goals and seven assists in 24 regular-season outings for Colorado this year.
Toronto needs help everywhere, Hernandez acknowledged.
'Look, I don't think we could find ourselves in the table where we are at the moment and don't believe that we can improve all parts of the team,' said the GM, which has been quietly rebuilding TFC's stockpile of general allocation money.
Part of TFC's problem has been having to change tack mid-season, once the costly Italian experiment was over.
Forward Ola Brynhildsen has only been able to show glimpses of his talent, hampered by injuries and a lack of playmaking around him. Fellow striker Deandre Kerr is talented but raw.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
The roster simply isn't deep enough, meaning the degree of difficulty is amplified when the team makes a mistake and falls behind.
Brynhildsen, Corbeanu and midfielder Maxime Dominguez are all here on loans, with options to buy.
Mihailovic was making $1.775 million with the Rapids this season, a bargain compared to what Toronto was paying Insigne ($15.4 million) and Bernardeschi ($6.295 million). Mihailovic's new 3 1/2-year deal with Toronto, plus a club option for 2029, no doubt comes with a hefty raise.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2025.