In his first year with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Thomas Müller almost won Major League Soccer. Will he succeed in his second attempt? Developer Sports Interactive simulated the season.
While the leagues in Europe are already well underway, the new season in Major League Soccer (MLS) only started on Saturday. Both Thomas Müller and Lionel Messi got off to a successful start: the Vancouver Whitecaps won 1-0, while Inter Miami celebrated a 3-0 victory.
Will there be another grand final between the two teams at the end – this time with a happier outcome for the former Munich player? Sports Interactive has already simulated the season in North America’s top division in Football Manager 26.
Top start for Müller and the Whitecaps
After twelve games, things are looking great for Müller in the game: the Whitecaps have eight wins and are at the top of the table. Inter Miami and LA Galaxy, where Marco Reus is under contract, are experiencing a mixed phase. Miami is only in 12th place, while the team from Los Angeles is in 19th place – another weak season for LA Galaxy is looming.
But will the tide turn once again? Not in the regular season, at least. LA Galaxy finished the season in 19th place, Inter Miami in 10th. The Whitecaps were unable to hold on to their long-held lead in the table – Orlando City secured victory in the regular season.
Reus gets to play in the MLS Cup after all
At least LA Galaxy still made it to the MLS Cup playoffs via the wild card after a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. However, Vancouver awaited them there. The Whitecaps prevailed after three games and reached the conference final. For Inter Miami, on the other hand, it was over early: Messi and Co. were defeated by the New York Red Bulls, who went on to reach the final.
There, their opponent is Vancouver Whitecaps. The Canadians reach the final thanks to a brace from Müller. The battle for the trophy turns into an open exchange of blows that looks set to go into extra time. But Rafael Mosquera scores late for New York and shoots the Red Bulls to the title. For Müller, this means that his second final appearance ends in tears – at least in FM26.
