Thomas Müller made his debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps. It almost ended with a goal. Now the 35-year-old is looking for some peace and quiet.
Even before kick-off against Houston Dynamo FC, Vancouver was in a state of emergency. Hundreds of fans had gathered outside the stadium to welcome Thomas Müller on his way to his first game. The new signing arrived in a black limousine, stepping out in shorts and a white Whitecaps sweater. Müller waved cheerfully, signed autographs, and finally disappeared into the catacombs.
As expected, the long-time Bayern pro initially sat on the bench and watched as Brian White gave Vancouver the lead in the sixth minute with a penalty kick. In the 61st minute, the moment had arrived: Müller came on as a substitute, gave a few commands – and scored less than three minutes later with a powerful right-footed shot. The 35-year-old was already being celebrated by his teammates, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside situation in the build-up.
“I score, the fans go crazy, and then it’s offside,” said the 35-year-old, annoyed. Things got even wilder in the final stages: Artur Bassi (90+1) scored the equalizer, and Vancouver midfielder Brooklyn Raines was shown a second yellow card (90+5). The 1-1 draw saw the Whitecaps drop to third place in the MLS Western Conference.
Müller was unable to put his feelings into words after his debut. “It’s a mixture of everything,” said the 2014 World Cup winner. “The result is disappointing, to be honest. But it was a great first experience.” With 26,031 spectators, BC Place Stadium was sold out for the first time this season. And the hype in Vancouver is certainly not going to die down any time soon. “I’m really happy to be here. The fans were incredible,” enthused the Bavarian.
“It was a tough week”
After his first appearance and the many appointments that preceded it, Müller is now looking for some peace and quiet. “I’ve been very busy the last few days. It was a tough week,” he said. “Now I’m going to relax and reflect on the past few weeks in my apartment. It was crazy. Now I’m happy that I’ve played my first match.”
After the setback against Houston, Müller wants to continue integrating himself into the team and find some normality in his “first regular week” in Vancouver. The next home game is against St. Louis on Saturday (local time). “We have to win. We need the three points,” he said. After his first appearance, Müller is likely to be in the starting line-up for the next game.
