Montreal took a 1-0 lead over Charlotte on a goal by Djordje Mihailovic. (0:54) Djordje is trying not to get carried away. The Montreal CF is in the best shape of his career. His tally of seven goals has almost doubled his previous single-season high of four and Montreal is firmly inside the playoff places. The personal awards are on their way. The interest from European clubs is heating up. He will be hoping to make his first international appearance since December 2020 after being called into the United States men's national team training camp. There is a part of Mihailovic that is eager to let the good times roll, the better to allow him to play with the joy that is present when he is performing at his best. He is happy to have left some tough spells behind, but right now there is also a wariness about the heights his career has recently reached. The good times can be more detrimental to a player's mental aspect than the bad times. You are doing a lot of good things and you expect more from yourself. It is easier to fall down a wrong path when things get too high. - MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games, replays (U.S.)
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The Montreal locker room jokes that the player who started the whole snowball is the one who blames his teammate for the chatter.
He said that he tries to keep a steady state and that he has to do it for 34 games.
Mihailovic will be focused on the U.S. and trying to make the World Cup roster. It is not uncommon for a player who did not play a part in the World Cup qualification to make the squad. Even if the mountain he has to climb is steep, he is holding out hope that he can follow in those footsteps.
He said about the call-up that he has been working towards.
The player caught the eye of the U.S. manager, who was impressed with the player's ability to play between the lines and be a difference-maker in the attacking third. One of the invitees to his first U.S. camp was Mihailovic. The answer to a question is that the player scored the first goal of the Berhalter era in a win over Panama in January 2019. The national team staff and Berhalter expected Mihailovic to kick on from there, but his struggles at club level meant he was called in only in spurts.
There were some fleeting moments, but the consistency wasn't there. Berhalter has liked what he has seen so far this season, but questions remain.
The coach wanted to know if he could press with the intensity that we need, with the speed and with the quickness that we need to cause turnovers. The second thing is, can he have the defensive work rate to win the ball back and get it done?
The coming weeks will show how close Mihailovic is to closing that gap. He knows that he has some players to leap over if he gets a chance at the World Cup, but he knows that his recent play has him back in the picture. His dream can be visualized again thanks to some pointers from Montreal manager Wilfried Nancy.
In his first season in the league in the year 2021, Mihailovic had 16 assists, which ranked second in the league, behind New England's 18. Nancy wanted him to be more goal- dangerous, and he zeroed in on what was going on in his head.
In the past, he was rushing all the time in terms of internal decision-making.
He now knows when is a good time to place the ball, kick it hard or make the pass. This is a big improvement for me.
The numbers show more than just the number of goals Mihailovic has scored. Mihailovic has hit the target on 63.6% of his shots, which is tops in the league among players with at least 15 shots on goal. He recorded 25.4% last season.
The timing of his runs has improved, but he is also playing with a freedom given to him by Nancy that allows him to crash the box when the time is right. His sixth professional season has contributed to the increase in goals. The cooler he is, the more situations he finds himself in in front of the goal.
The Montreal Impact scored a goal in the first minute.
He said that when you get in these moments, you have a lot more time than you think. I have been in that situation for the last six years. I always receive the ball in the middle and repeat that action. It is the same when I am in and around the goal, having that calm head and executing.
The $1 million in allocation funds that Montreal sent to the Chicago Fire look like they were well spent, even if the move at the time seemed fraught with risk. He had been with the club since his academy days and was comfortable around friends and family. It was time to move on after the 2020 season. The Fire didn't want to give Mihailovic the keys to the attack, but he wanted to be the player.
I'm just thinking, and you hope to be an important player for that team going forward, that's what I think.
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The sporting director of Montreal pounced. Renard had been looking at Mihailovic for a long time, dating back to the time he worked for Standard Liege. He was looking for a replacement for Bojan Krkic, who was one of the team's attacking midfielders.
Renard said that Djordje is an important player for them and that they give a lot of money to Chicago. He is not complicated. He is a special person.
The move made Mihailovic grow up. He had no family with him. He only had soccer. Increased talk of a move to Europe was a result of that focus.
When a player gets 16 assists, as Mihailovic did last season, such calls are inevitable, says Renard.
The most important thing for me is the mind of the player and to know that Djordje is happy. We never talked about that, but if he tells me to leave for Europe, we will find a solution.
He said his World Cup quest wouldn't affect his decision. The World Cup is a dream of his and happens every four years. A club is a long-term decision.
I have to keep in mind that the World Cup is at the end of the year, and I have to make sure that I am at a club where I am happy. I don't think that way. I have to make sure that leaving Montreal is the best thing for my career.
One gets the sense that he is ready. He spent part of last offseason training with Bologna, and his growth is evident when he compares that time with another training stint with Nurnberg in 2019. He admitted to being overwhelmed by the speed of play.
He said he was comfortable with Bologna, but there was a lot to learn about how players dealt with the pressure from supporters and the club.
He said it was always good to see how players handle themselves.
Staying in Montreal might be the best thing for Mihailovic in the short term. He is getting on the field and contributing. He is valued by Montreal.
They did not overshadow me. He said that Montreal did not lock him up in any way. I think that is one of my biggest strengths. They allow me to do what I know how to do.
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