Amid the chaos of his first week with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Thomas Müller found a moment to breathe—and it came between the grocery aisles. 

Departing on what the 35-year-old has repeatedly called a new “adventure” after 25 years with Bayern Munich, Müller officially began his new chapter on Sunday, playing 30 minutes in his MLS debut in a 1–1 draw against the Houston Dynamo. 

While he scored on his first shot only to see it called back for offside, getting into a game finally let his soccer do the talking after a week of travel, media, and adjusting to a new lifestyle that sees him as a continued celebrity in a less soccer-crazed city than Munich. 

“The first days were busy, but in a positive way. I learned a lot about the culture, I met some very nice people, and I am enjoying it a lot and I’m excited for more,” Müller said, reflecting on his first days.

“When I walk through the city, it's nice to meet some people cheering for the Whitecaps, but it's also nice to go to the supermarket and buy my stuff, and then I can relax a little bit between the lemons and then the blueberries.”

Over 27,000 fans packed into the lower bowl at BC Place for Müller’s debut, and he arrived through a special entrance with fans packing the streets around the stadium to catch a glimpse of the 2014 World Cup winner. 

Although he didn’t start, the Whitecaps scored early through U.S. men’s national team striker Brian White, before Müller entered the match midway through the second half. 

The German was quickly involved in playing as a pseudo-No. 10 and partially as a second-striker, and even though his strike didn’t count, it gave him a flavor of what the home crowd could bring. 

“The moment when I scored the goal, it was amazing,” he said. “The noise in the stadium and then also the reaction of my teammates, it was a great start for me.”

The 13-time Bundesliga champion was far more than just a presence in that moment as well, as he dropped into half spaces between the defense and midfield with eyes toward setting up his teammates.

“I think he has a high football IQ, so he understands where to position himself and also which spaces to attack,” head coach Jesper Sørensen said of Müller’s debut. “He’s been here for three days. We just want to get him in, integrated into the team as fast as possible, and I think that he has done very well since he came to training sessions. Then tonight, I was very happy with what I saw.”

Raumdeuter Becomes Vancouver’s Instant Leader

Vancouver Whitecaps - Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller hit the back of the net in his first MLS match, but the goal was called offside. | Elizabeth Ruiz/Getty Images

In just the first few moments, Müller felt right at home on the pitch. Like his time at Bayern, he shouted at his teammates and sought to position himself to elevate others, even after just two days of training with the new group. 

“It’s my natural behavior if I’m on the pitch,” he said of his vocal leadership. “I try to organize my own position first, but when I see something that I think is good for the team to adapt about positioning or intensity or passing gaps, then I will communicate with my teammates directly. I think that will never change, even if it’s my first game.”

After the match, Müller reviewed tactics and expressed his disappointment in several actions, including a through ball to Ali Ahmed, which ran slightly too heavy and out of reach. 

While many players may not have been so quick to criticize themselves in a debut, his comments showcased the level and mentality he brings to the Whitecaps, and how vital the small details will be in the stretch run to the MLS Cup Playoffs. 

Comparing MLS to the Bundesliga

Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller was critical of the off-ball movements in MLS. | Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Despite the result not falling into the Whitecaps’ favour, Müller got his first taste of club soccer outside Europe, and the level of MLS compared to the Bundesliga. 

While he earned himself the nickname “Raumdeuter”, or space interpreter, for much of his work off the ball and away from the play, those skillsets were more than evident in his debut.

“The pace and the intensity are really high,” he said of his first impressions of MLS. “Sometimes in the work off the ball, positioning and early work for good positions there, I think there are some points where the teams can improve.”

Now, though, he and the Whitecaps will look to develop their systems in this new era and ease Müller towards a first start, potentially as soon as the next match against St. Louis CITY SC. 

“If everything goes well, we’ll see him in the starting lineup pretty soon,” Sørensen said. “Probably next Saturday, but we have to see if everything goes well. I hope so.”

Added Müller: “I’m fresh into this team, new into the league...I need a few weeks to figure out what is right or wrong, but to be honest, I feel very good after this game.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thomas Muller Embraces MLS Intensity and New Adventure in Debut.