With a tifo from Vancouver Whitecaps supporters welcoming him to the packed BC Place, Thomas Müller hit the pitch for his MLS debut on Sunday night in a 1–1 draw against the Houston Dynamo.
Over 27,000 fans got a chance to witness Müller’s first club match beyond FC Bayern Munich, as he entered the game in the 60th minute off the bench.
While the Whitecaps already found themselves up 1–0 through U.S. men’s national team striker Brian White’s sixth-minute penalty, Müller made an instant impact as the home side looked to extend their lead.
The 35-year-old slipped in as a deeper second, deeper-lying striker to start, and did not take long to get involved in the match, quickly linking up with White, as well as another USMNT member, Sebastian Berhalter, who controlled midfield.
Yet his most iconic moment won’t go down in Whitecaps history. In the 65th minute, Müller struck a shot from the top of the box with his left foot and beat Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. However, the goal was called back due to White being offside in the buildup, drawing the ire of Müller and the thousands in attendance.
Offside in the build-up...
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 18, 2025
But Thomas Müller nearly had his first goal within SECONDS. 😳 pic.twitter.com/wzDihNdCIg
His impact didn’t falter after the goal was called back. He continued to look for White in a burgeoning attacking partnership that the Whitecaps will hope hits its stride soon, and further looked to link up with Daniel Ríos after the Mexican replaced White in the 76th minute.
Later on, Müller also looked to play through runs from Jayden Nelson and Kenji Cabrera, and threaded passes through multiple defenders in tight spaces for onrushing midfielders in Berhalter and Cubas.
His off-ball play saw him join the press to hold Houston attackers out of passing lanes, while putting himself in place to spark a counterattack. He also wasn’t concerned about the artificial turf surface, making a vital slide tackle in the 76th minute to regain possession for the home side.
Despite his bright debut the Whitecaps conceded the tying goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Yet, it sparked Müller to drop into a key transitional piece, as he played multiple through balls to teammates Ali Ahmed and Rios, who were unable to finish their half-chances.
Space Interpreter in New Colors
While Müller entered the match as a deep-lying second striker behind White, he adapted his positioning throughout the performance, sometimes drifting wide, but consistently placing himself in empty spaces to take advantage of.
In the game’s waning moments, as he began to play a more transnational role, dropping off Houston’s midfielders and finding midfield pockets to provide the Whitecaps wingers with chances. However, he also had moments where he drifted wide to exploit spaces for Vancouver’s central attackers.
In the end, he finished with five passes into the final third, 27 touches, and four recoveries, through 31 minutes. As can be seen by his heatmap, he spent time in several areas in the attacking third and midfield, looking to exploit Houston’s defensive gaps.
Although he was not able to get on the scoresheet, the debut gave a sense of his strengths in Vancouver’s setup, and showed his likely imminent future as a second striker behind White, and someone who can play off defenders.
Yet, the Whitecaps won’t be pleased with the result, as they dropped to third in the Western Conference, and will look ahead to their next MLS regular season match against St. Louis CITY SC, which could see Müller make his first start.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Thomas Muller Fared in His Vancouver Whitecaps and MLS Debut .