In his very first season in Vancouver, Thomas Müller has the chance to win the championship. The 36-year-old is looking forward to the final and sees parallels with FC Bayern.
Of course, the Vancouver Whitecaps are delighted with their 3-1 win in San Diego and winning the Western Conference, and Thomas Müller makes no secret of that, but he also emphasizes that the team in Canada remains fully focused on the big goal of winning the championship. “We won the conference, and of course we celebrated as a team,” Müller wrote via “esmuellert,” adding: “But you know what? It was immediately clear: the job isn’t done. There’s still one step left. I liked that. That’s how I know it from FC Bayern—a semifinal is nice, but logically, it’s always about the whole thing.”
The veteran also touched on the qualities of the Whitecaps, who not only “have a lot of really good players in all positions,” but are also mentally very strong. “What makes us strong is how we deal with pressure situations, the comebacks in extra time, the penalty shootouts we’ve won. We’ve been through a lot together in recent months. And so the mutual trust in our team isn’t just talk—we’ve earned it and proven it many times over.“
”When you’re the best, you’re the one being hunted”
That’s what it will take in Saturday’s final, because Vancouver is likely to be the underdog against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in Florida. “Now it’s about finding the right mix of focus and relaxation,” Müller reveals what is needed now and emphasizes: “Of course, we are fighting for the MLS title, but above all, we want to show that we play the best soccer. Content over results.”
Müller is very much looking forward to the final. “Since I started in the MLS, this has been the final everyone has been talking about. And now the time has come. It’s going to be a madhouse in Miami, a real soccer festival to my liking,“ said the 2014 World Cup winner, who is also looking forward to facing Lionel Messi. ”What could be better than playing against the GOAT, against Messi – and beating him? When you’re the best, you’re the one being hunted,“ Müller knows, but he also emphasizes that ”it’s clear: we’re playing against a team, not against one player.“
He expects a balanced match, as two teams are facing each other ”who like to have the ball and score a lot of goals. I hope we get off to a similarly good start as we did in the Conference Final against San Diego.“ He is also encouraged by the fact that Vancouver has already proven that it can take on Inter. ”The Whitecaps beat Inter Miami before my time, even with Messi. That gives us confidence.”
