Thomas Muller made his Major League Soccer debut on Sunday as a second half replacement for Vancouver WhiteCaps in a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo that the Germany left great with «mixed feelings» after he had spoken a goal for offside.
With thanks to the sixth minute penalty by Brian White, Vancouver was 1-0 when the former striker Muller of Bayern Munich entered the game in the 61st minute into a massive ovation.
Muller, a world cup winner with Germany whose legendary term of office at Bayern contained 13 Bundesliga titles, had found his way to Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium by a crowd of excited supporters, high-fiving and shaking while he went.
The Whitecaps had officially unveiled their new signing on Thursday, a week after he closed a deal until the end of the 2025 season with an option for 2026.
The crowd of 26,301 stood and cheered when he was introduced before the kick -off, and Muller applauded fans in exchange.
Minutes after entering the game, Muller shot a ball in the back of the net, but it was rule offside.
«Mixed feelings, mixed feelings,» said the 35-year-old. “The result is disappointing to be honest.
“But yes, I immediately came in at my first moment with my first goal here. The crowd went crazy, but then it was set for offside.
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«We have to take the next step in the next game,» he added after he saw Houston’s Artur grab the equalizer with an explosion long distance in the first minute of the second half injury time.
«But I am very happy to be here. I think the crowd was great.»
Vancouver left the draw in third place in the Western Conference on 46 points, six behind conference leaders San Diego and a back of Minnesota.
San Diego moved to the top of the supporters’ Shield ranking for the best general record-for the Eastern conference leaders Cincinnati about target difference with a Come-From-Behind 2-1 win over the San Jose earthquakes on Sunday.
«We had to win clearly,» said Muller. «We had to get big opportunities. But in the end, yes, it’s football and it can happen.»
He was happy that he had his first MLS match under his belt and I want to go to settle after a first week of the whirlwind.
«I am now happy that my first game is in the books,» said the German, who came to Bayern’s youth program in 2000 and then called the club at home for 25 years.
«I can start next week, just a regular week,» he said.
«I have to settle in my apartment today after this competition and think about what happened this week – it was crazy things.»
