The German forward has found his goalscoring touch in MLS, as the Canadian champs are playing their best soccer at the right time
Thomas Muller has really only made one glaring mistake since he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps this summer. It came on Aug. 24, when the German legend was asked about the play of teammate Tristan Blackmon, then in fine form.
Muller sang his praises.
"During the international break we will miss some players," Muller said in a news conference. "Tristan has been called up for the USA."
He immediately backtracked with cheeky smile. Sure, Blackmon had been called up. But Mauricio Pochettino had not yet publicly released his September camp roster. No one was supposed to know that yet.
"If he plays well today. Ah, the game is over. In the end, it is what it is – I heard what I heard. Congratulations to Tristan and congratulations to the USA," Muller said.
It was one of those classic sort of Muller moments: a bit cheeky, very funny, yet entirely sincere. You could hear it in his voice. He may have, in effect, messed up, but he was delighted for his teammate. And that was always going to translate to MLS from Bayern Munich.
Muller is a funny guy who says funny things. He is a bit of a dork, in the best way. Americans might call him a "knucklehead." What was less clear, though, was just how effective he would be as a footballer.
MLS has a mixed relationship with aging European stars. Some are excellent, their brains carrying them through games to a level well above everyone else. Others are less effective, struggling in a league that is far more athletic than perhaps they were used to.
Muller is the former, and then some. There was a sense, when he arrived, that Vancouver needed a lift on the pitch – not just a smile at full time. And in Muller, they have it, their new superstar finding his footing in North American soccer in wonderful fashion.
MLS MediaReplacing Vite in the best way possible
It was mid-July, and the Whitecaps were losing a standout contributor they really did not want to sell. Pedro Vite had been a fine wide player for Vancouver for nearly five years. He joined the club as a teenager, and had steadily improved, season after season. He was confusing to the modern eye – short, stocky, but immensely quick.
These kinds of players thrive in MLS. And Vite was living proof.
Any other year, and the Whitecaps would have reluctantly said goodbye. He may be an excellent player, but Vite was the subject of interest from Pumas, who have a lot of money. A middling Vancouver side would likely have few qualms moving him on. Except, this year seemed unique – and it was unique.
The Whitecaps were fighting for a spot atop the Western Conference in the MLS standings. There was a chance they could win the Supporters' Shield. Brian White was on fire, and he needed service. Vite provided it.
But Vancouver also couldn't turn down the money. Pumas offered them $7 million for the attacking midfielder. Vancouver accepted. And after that, the season might have been over.
"They lost Pedro Vite at midfield. So they needed someone to kind of fill that void," former USMNT star Maurice Edu told GOAL.
Their response? Sign someone better. Muller had made it clear that MLS was an option for him. Many assumed that LAFC, after missing out on Antoine Griezmann, would make a play. But Vancouver went big, and Muller arrived.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe performances are better than ever
Of course, the takes flew in. Muller is an odd footballer in that he doesn't really have a position. He, in fact, came up with his own, famously explaining himself as a "Raumdeuter" – rough translation: interpreter of space. No one quite knows what that means when written, but watch Muller, and it makes perfect sense.
He sort of ghosts around, moving into spaces that are yet unoccupied, making all of the clever runs and getting into goalscoring positions with each dart and jog. Most teams have used him – nominally – as an attacking midfielder, second striker, or winger. But to tie down Muller is to limit what he does best.
And that might have been the problem in MLS. Positional discipline wins games, and the Whitecaps had established themselves as a ruthlessly efficient sort of side. They couldn't necessarily afford to have a guy who didn't subscribe to the plan.
So much for that. Muller proved the detractors wrong from the outset. He turned in a promising 30 minutes during his first game for the Whitecaps, and followed that by scoring in his second. He buried a hat-trick in his third.
After six games, his stats were glowing: six goals, four assists. But dig deeper and the numbers get even better. Muller's dribbling, chance creating and pressing numbers are up. He is winning headers at a high rate. This is, in effect, complete forward play.
ImagnPartnership with Brian White, Ryan Gauld
And that's a good thing, too – not least because of the attacking options Vancouver can tinker with. White was on fire in MLS to start the season, and recaptured some of that form after coming back from a hamstring injury last month. He has bagged 16 goals in the league alone, and is averaging 0.86 goals per 90 minutes.
There isn't a more ruthless true No. 9 in the league at the moment.
There were some concerns that Muller could work with him. The German has a history of adapting to the play of others – see Robert Lewandowski. But these things take time, and White is a one-dimensional presence. Still, the two worked well together in a handful of fixtures. It is a shame for Vancouver, then, that White could be out for a few weeks after picking up a hamstring injury as the playoffs approach.
Still, there are further question marks. Ryan Gauld, the Whitecaps' captain and main man, picked up a serious knee injury in March. It was assumed that he could be out for most of the season. But he recovered quickly, and is now back in the fold.
The issue? Gauld is an attacking midfielder, goal threat, and presumptive main man. In Muller, the Whitecaps already have one. There will be some growing pains here – which isn't a good thing right heading into the postseason.
Getty ImagesSilverware already
But it has already led to something concrete. Vancouver, it must be emphasized, really should win the Canadian Championship. The country's soccer culture is always growing – and there are some good lower-level teams to be found – but the three MLS clubs – Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal – have dominated it.
Vancouver, though, still have to win actual football matches. And they got it done last week. Muller was magnificent in the final, scoring one and assisting another as they beat surprise contenders Vancouver FC, 4-2. His penalty in that game was the 300th goal of his career. Muller shrugged off that achievement.
"Today, I feel more about winning the Canadian Championship and not my personal collection of trophies,” Muller said. “It’s a nice number, but in the end, it’s the feeling with the boys, with the crowds, and that’s what I’m looking for and what’s enjoyable for me."
But he emphasized, too, that the club might have a run in them in MLS.
“I think it’s very good to get this winning feeling, to confirm that we are able to win trophies, and sustain in tough moments," Muller said. “I hope that gives us, in this last chapter of this season, this feeling together to get something bigger."