One of the reasons the Vancouver Whitecaps signed Thomas Müller is that he is a big-game player.
The Whitecaps went down to Orlando, down 1-0 at the half, and Sebastian Berhalter looked like he scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time. However, VAR ruled it out. Orlando City SC goalkeeper Pedro Gallese squeezed it, but it was under his arms and clearly over the line. That made another strong case for MLS goal line technology.
It looked like Vancouver was going to be robbed of the three points. But it turns out, all’s well that ends well, as the old saying goes. As he did many times during his illustrious career, the Raumdeuter rose to the occasion.
“I think we will fly to Orlando, take the three points and fly back, that’s our goal,” said Müller after training on Thursday, per Har Johal of Daily Hive. Well, that aged like fine wine. Once again, Müller displayed his aura.
After going down in the first half, the Whitecaps locked in for the second half
The Whitecaps had 70% of the possession in the game. That isn’t surprising considering that is how head coach Jesper Sørensen wants them to play.
However, possession is worthless if a team doesn’t do anything with it. There were some flashes from Daniel Rios and Müller on the attack, but the final third play could’ve been better. Emmanuel Sabbi was also quiet, and Jeevan Badwal on the right wing clearly wasn’t working.
There was also some shakiness in the defence. As a result, Orlando City caught the Whitecaps on the transition, and Dagur Dan Dagur Thorhallsson put them up 1-0 in the 23rd minute. Vancouver’s defence was very messy.
But like the meme of the guy sitting up in his chair playing video games, the Whitecaps decided to lock in. The second half was all Vancouver. They were searching for goals like a bloodhound looking for clues.
It was an ugly goal that tied the game for the Whitecaps, and it was Nelson Pierre’s first MLS goal. This was just after he was subbed on. What a way to get his first.
Ryan Gauld, who was subbed on in the 60th minute, did a great job of keeping the ball in play after Berhalter kept the ball in and set the stage for Pierre to score.
If the Whitecaps drew in this game, there definitely would’ve been outrage all Saturday night and in the following days from fans over Berhalter’s disallowed goal. But it took some Gauld and Müller magic to make people forget about that.
Tate Johnson made an excellent tackle to keep the pressure on for the Whitecaps and prevent Orlando from counter-attacking. If it weren’t for this play by Johnson, Gauld would not have set up Müller. The German legend danced his way around the defenders and beat Gallese at the bottom corner.
The Whitecaps have found some remarkable ways to win all season. This is a team that you should never count out. It has been an amazing season so far, and hopefully, that translates into a deep playoff run.
Stat of the match
Since Müller arrived, the Whitecaps have won seven games, lost zero, and drawn three. Hey, that’s pretty good!
What was said
“We keep pushing, we believe in ourselves, and we believe we can turn things around,” said Sørensen after the match. “We presented ourselves today in a very difficult away game and believed in ourselves and not pushing and stressing too much, even though there’s not much time left…Doing things too quickly won’t help us in football; it’s just a couple of moments you need, and a goal can be scored in a split second, and then things change.”
Sørensen was asked about Müller.
“What he’s shown since he’s come here, with the way he presents himself, with the quality he adds to the team, with how much he’s involved in what chances we create … in the build up and also in the pressing, I think he’s been even more than we could even have hoped for when he came,” he said on German superstar.
Müller spoke with Whitecaps club reporter Sarita Patel after the game.
“I trust this team a lot and we will go for it,” he said. “We go until the end. We get some good results away from home, even when we are down. Let’s keep going.”
Pierre also spoke to the media after the game.
“It’s been an amazing season. I’ve really come into my own,” he said while speaking on his goal. “I just took a gamble, got in front of my man, and got lucky it went in.”
Wrap-up
Next Saturday is the final day of the MLS regular season, also known as “Decision Day.”
The Whitecaps host FC Dallas at BC Place on that day, and kickoff is at 6 pm Pacific. Dallas lost to LA Galaxy 2-1 in Carson and will be without both of their starting strikers in Vancouver. Logan Farrington got a straight red, and Peter Musa will miss the game at BC Place due to yellow card accumulation.
The win in Orlando puts Vancouver at 63 points, three ahead of San Diego FC. The Whitecaps are first in the Western Conference and can clinch first place on Decision Day. But that still depends on how LAFC do against Austin FC on Sunday. LAFC have 59 points and are in third.
If LAFC beats Austin, the Whitecaps will have to beat FC Dallas to clinch first in the Western Conference. But if LAFC lose or draws in Austin, a draw against Dallas would be enough for Vancouver to be best in the West.
