TFC take a different approach with Pearlman and Stefanovic
While one teenager has been loaned to the Halifax Wanderers, the other will get minutes with Toronto FC this season.
The collective story of Adam Pearlman and Lazar Stefanovic is a tale of two Canadian teenagers at Toronto FC who are taking divergent paths this season.
Pearlman, 19, was sent on loan to the Halifax Wanderers in February and will spend the entire 2025 Canadian Premier League campaign on the east coast. Stefanovic, 18, was signed to an MLS deal last month and will sit on Toronto's roster as an “off-roster homegrown player” this year.
Both youngsters came up through the TFC youth academy. Both cut their teeth with TFC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro for multiple seasons. Both have made their first team debuts. Both have routinely trained with the senior side. Both are considered promising prospects.
So, why is one staying and expected to fight for minutes in MLS, while the other was shipped out so that he could get regular playing time?
