It was a special day for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver sports as a whole.
On a cloudy and cool Thursday morning at Telus Garden in Downtown Vancouver, the Whitecaps unveiled their big signing. Thomas Müller’s arrival in Vancouver brought a huge spectacle. On Wednesday night, the Bayern Munich and German legend was greeted by swarms of fans and media at YVR Airport. On Thursday, he was presented in front of a ton of media, delegates, Whitecaps staff and supporters groups.
Being the character he is, Müller was all smiles and brought a lot of laughter to the room. He was joking around with the media, Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen and sporting director and CEO Axel Schuster. Believe it or not, Müller even did his best impressions of goats. Yes, he did.
A big day for the Whitecaps organization
“This is the greatest day since I have joined the club,” said Schuster. “It’s a great day for everyone who has been here longer than me. It is a great time to be a Vancouver Whitecaps supporter.”
The Whitecaps never made a signing like this. Sure, Jay DeMerit, Kenny Miller, YP Lee and even Ryan Gauld got some hype when they signed. But none of them are on the level of Müller. Given Vancouver is in the midst of the best season of their MLS era, the time to sign a big name made sense.
However, Müller was not signed just to generate hype, sell shirts and put more fans into BC Place for games. The man known as the “Raumdeuter” was signed to give the Whitecaps a higher chance of seeing things they’ve never seen. Müller was signed with the ambition of winning titles with Vancouver.
“For me this is not the end,” said Schuster. “This is somewhere in the middle of the road. There is way more to come for the club…but today, it is a day where we can take a short breath, enjoy and say ‘welcome Thomas Müller.’
Müller is ready to go and ready to win
Müller made it clear as to his reason to sign with the Whitecaps. He wasn’t here to collect another paycheque or to hang around and then retire. No, he was here to win.
“I want to be on the pitch as soon as possible,” said Müller. “That’s why I’m here. The city is nice, yes…but in the end, I am here to play soccer. I was used to playing football and now I’m here to play soccer.”
Müller is one of Germany’s most decorated players. He has won 13 Bundesliga titles, six DPB-Pokals, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two FIFA Club World Cups and the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
However, he isn’t thinking about his past accomplishments. The German superstar is thinking about trophies he can win with the Whitecaps. Leaving Bayern Munich after 25 years was tough for him, but he admitted it was time for a new adventure.
“An adventure is only interesting to me if there’s a chance to win titles,” he said. “It’s not about winning titles in the past, but titles in the future…my body feels too good to retire.”
Tactics and adaptation to MLS?
Müller wasn’t too keen on talking about tactics and the finer details of soccer. However, he is excited to work under Sørensen, his staff and his new teammates.
“After every game and every result, people think differently about it,” he said with a laugh when asked about the tactical fit. “We will figure out in the next weeks what is good for me and the team.”
MLS is a growing league and it is more physical, tough and demanding than many fans think. Müller gave a very straightforward answer when asked about how he will adapt to MLS.
“I have no idea,” he said. “We will find out.”
Like any player signing for a new club in a new league, it is hard to predict how well they will adapt. It turns out Müller is no different.
It really is exciting times surrounding the Whitecaps and the signing of Müller gives them boost for their chances of winning MLS Cup and more. Müller will make his debut on Sunday as the Whitecaps host the Houston Dynamo. Kickoff is at 6 pm Pacific. It turns out, the lower bowl is expected to sell out, but the upper bowl is not expected to open as of now. But one thing is clear: Müller mania has taken over Vancouver.
