The change of scenery took CF Montréal MVP Mihailovic to new heights

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The transition to Canadian life has presented some minor obstacles to Djordje Mihailovic, a native of Florida. He still doesn’t understand miles per hour when he drives and didn’t realize this country celebrates Thanksgiving in October until his favorite restaurant was closed for the holidays.

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Otherwise, Mihailovic’s transition to CF Montreal, after four seasons with the Chicago Fire, couldn’t have been more rewarding individually.

“I was ready for this change and it didn’t surprise me that he was going to a new team,” Mihailovic said on Tuesday, during CFM’s end-of-season availability, and after being named the club’s MVP. “The change of team and scene really motivated me: to join a new team and show that I am worth what was invested to get me. The freedom that has been given to me. “

Sent to his new team last December for the potential $ 1 million in general allocation money, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder saved a career that seemed stuck in neutral with the Fire.

Mihailovic proved to be the creative centerpiece of CFM’s attack, churning out 16 assists, two fewer than New England’s Carles Gil, while also surpassing the team record of 13, set by Ignacio Piatti in 2018. Mihailovic also proved durable, dressing up for all 34 games, including 32 starts. He scored four goals.

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The club also announced veteran French defender Rudy Camacho as the defensive player of the year. The 30-year-old bounced back very well from 2020, when every mistake he made seemingly ended up in the back of the net. In 31 games, all as a starter, the center-back scored three goals and added 2,746 minutes. More importantly, Camacho helped reinforce the team’s bottom line.

But while Mihailovic is one of the important pieces on which CF Montréal will build, Camacho’s tenure is coming to an end after four seasons. His contract expires at the end of December and sports director Olivier Renard said he will not return, although he was presented with a contract offer several months ago.

“He wanted to find a contract that would satisfy him,” Renard said. “This morning, I thanked him for giving 100 percent until the last minute.”

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It was a challenging season for Renard’s team. Manager Thierry Henry not only resigned shortly before training camp, citing family reasons, the team was again forced to play the first games at home on foreign soil, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after Harrison, NJ, in 2020, due to pandemic travel restrictions over time.

While CFM (12-12-10) failed to make the playoffs, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference after qualifying in the MLS expanded postseason pool the previous year, they remained alive until the final day of play when they lost 2 -0 home to the city of Orlando. The club saved that disappointment by capturing the Canadian Championship last Sunday against Toronto FC, qualifying to play in the CONCACAF Champions League, starting in February.

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And players generally adopted the philosophy and style of play dictated by new coach Wilfried Nancy, a former team assistant. Nancy emphasized team effort over individual ones, generously changing her starting 11. He preached building from behind, defending high, playing with his front foot while emphasizing the importance of ball possession.

But there were failures. The team lost eight potential points due to late goals in injury time and did not help their cause with a 1-2-3 record down the stretch as they tried to fight their way over the playoff line. Nonetheless, CFM exceeded preseason expectations.

“Considering what we went through, I think we can say we had a great season,” said Victor Wanyama.

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Renard said the emphasis in this short offseason will be on solidifying the bottom line. He said the club has an agreement with Gabriele Corbo, a 21-year-old Italian who plays for Serie A Bologna after spending last season with Serie B Ascoli. Corbo could replace Camacho, while other reinforcements will be available.

“We have a young team,” Renard said. “If we stay with the same team, all with one more year of experience, they will all improve over time.”

Renard said it is not imperative to augment the roster with the signing of a designated player or other high-priced foreigner.

“My philosophy is not to have a great player on the field,” he explained. “It is having a team on the field. We have important players. We can build something important with the young players ”.

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