Toronto, Ontario– It has been nine months since Djordje Mihailovic made the shock transfer to Toronto FC in the middle of the season. Saturday will be the first game since then that the Americans will play against the Rapids. The Colorado Rapids (3-0-2, 7th West) will make the trip to Canada to play an early-morning game against Toronto FC (2-1-2, 7th East). The obvious storyline will be Djordje, but there is a lot of crossover for these two teams. Robin Fraser brought many former Rapids assistant coaches to Toronto. There is going to be a lot of pride on the line for the Rapids front office in this match. Let’s take a look at the matchup.
When: Saturday, April 4th @ 11:00 a.m. MST
Where: BMO Field, Toronto
TV/Streaming: Apple TV
Another Four-Goal Win in Kansas City
Colorado scored four goals in a comfortable win against a Sporting KC side that is in a tough stretch. It should have been three points for Colorado, and that is exactly what happened. The Rapids never fell behind in this game and spent only 14 minutes without the lead. Colorado avoided a Calvin Harris revenge game whilst Paxten Aaronson opened his account in 2026 with his first career brace.
It feels like a similar sentiment to after the LA Galaxy win. Against the Galaxy, it was a good win, but you should beat a team with a man advantage. It was a good win against Sporting KC, but you should be able to beat teams like SKC if you have aspirations. It was what Colorado couldn’t do last season, and it ultimately sank that season and Chris Armas as a head coach in Colorado. Despite this, it felt like the most complete performance from the Rapids under Matt Wells.Â
Colorado did concede one in this game, which raises questions about the effectiveness of passing out of the back. The SKC goal came from a quick counter after the Rapids gave up the ball, with the team building out of the back. It’s another goal conceded while playing with fire. They got away with it against Seattle, and it came back to bite them against NYCFC and now Sporting KC.
Now, it is not enough for Wells to seriously consider abandoning the idea and identity he is trying to instill. The first goal for Colorado in this match came from good buildup play that sprung Darren Yapi behind the back line. It is high-risk, high-reward. It is frustrating at times, sometimes baffling. But it is not going anywhere, and could become very fruitful for Colorado if they continue to trend in the right direction.
The four goals scored also marked this season as the most in the first five games by the Colorado Rapids in club history (11). It was previously 10 goals in the 1999 season. Not a bad stat for Wells.
Lineup Prediction:
Steffen (c) / M. Navarro, Herrington, Holding, Travis / Frederick, Ojediran, Aaronson / Yapi, R. Navarro, Sealy
Reggie Cannon and Connor Ronan are still out due to injuries sustained against the LA Galaxy. Reggie Cannon has been reported to have avoided a serious Achilles injury, and he is week-to-week. Ted Ku-DiPietro joins the list with a shoulder injury. Djordje Mihailovic is the only questionable Toronto player, meaning his return to play against the Rapids might be delayed, if not postponed.
It was a busy break for the Rapids in the transfer window, as Colorado picked up three new players. Loic Williams will join in the summer, so he will not be a factor in this match. The other two, Kosi Thompson and Georgi Minoungou, very well could be, however. Kosi Thompson, who just made his move from Toronto weeks ago, could make his Rapids debut against his old team. It would be surprising, however, to see these two get many, if any, minutes against Toronto. It is just too soon for the duo.
Matt Wells used this lineup in the 4-1 win over Sporting KC, and I see him sticking to it in Toronto. Everyone but Wayne Frederick and Miguel Navarro has been the usual starters for Wells five games in. Miguel Navarro will most likely be the replacement for Reggie Cannon, out with his Achilles injury. The one change from the norm, not due to injury, would be Frederick coming in for Josh Atencio. Wayne Frederick had a great game against Sporting KC, notching his first goal in MLS. He was much improved from his NYCFC performance and has looked good under Wells. More minutes may be on the cards for the youngster.
Return of Djordje
It was an uncomfortable breakup between Djordje Mihailovic and the Rapids in the middle of last season. Djordje left the Rapids high and dry when Toronto came calling. He liked the club’s ambition, the project they are building, and how much they are willing to spend on it. It was a dig at the Rapids organization. There was a lot unsaid that made the whole situation as confusing as possible for anyone on the outside. Saturday will be the first time Djordje suits up against the Rapids since his time here came to an end.
From what was said publicly, there is not much bad blood between the two parties. Djordje moved to Toronto, and Colorado splurged on Paxten Aaronson. There has been a lot of change in Colorado since then. It will be interesting to see where emotions go for both parties in this match. It has added a certain element to this matchup.
Djordje has been Djordje since joining the Canadian side. In 15 appearances, he has five goals and four assists. He has been a bright spot in a pretty poor team. He couldn’t will Toronto anywhere near the playoffs in 2025. It’s been better in 2026, but it hasn’t been emphatic for either Djordje or Toronto. Maybe Josh Sargent is the answer. Sargent and Djordje seem to be a dangerous combo.
Middle of the Road Start to 2026 for Toronto
Toronto sits in the same 7th place in the East that the Rapids sit in the West, but they have two fewer points to show for it. Toronto did not have a good start, losing their first two games convincingly. They then beat a short-handed Cincy side 1-0, conceded a late equalizer to NYRB, and won against a struggling Columbus side. They have been unbeaten in three games. Toronto was a late equalizer from going perfect three-for-three. The tides could be turning for a Toronto team desperate for success.
Desperate enough to go and spend big on USMNT striker Josh Sargent. And they spent really big. $22 million for Sargent from Norwich City in the English Championship. This deal is so Toronto. It is a lot of money. The ambition is there. Was it the smartest move? Probably not. Josh Sargent is a very good player, but most likely not worth the $22 million. He has yet to make his mark in the 65 minutes he has played this season. He will start to score; the price tag alone says that. Colorado will have to stop him from starting this Saturday.
Despite some middling results, Toronto has the second-longest active unbeaten streak in the league, behind only Seattle. A nine-game home win streak for the Canadian side is impressive. Colorado will have to do well to break that streak. Toronto will have to break a Colorado streak themselves as the Rapids have gone two straight games against Toronto without conceding a goal.
It is a familiar face in the Toronto dugout, as former Rapids head coach Robin Fraser will coach his first match against the Rapids since his dismissal in 2023. There is going to be a lot of crossover in this matchup. Especially if Kosi Thompson is called upon.
Prediction: Colorado is able to get a good result in a place not many are able to, but not too good. This one ends in a tie, 1-1.
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Eamon Shaw 