Thomas Mueller made his Major League Soccer debut for Vancouver Whitecaps in a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo. The Germany legend, who left Bayern Munich after 25 years, received a warm welcome from 26,301 fans at BC Place. The night had drama, joy, and frustration as his first MLS goal was ruled offside.
A Dream Welcome Turns into Mixed Feelings
Vancouver struck early when Brian White converted a penalty in the sixth minute. The crowd erupted again in the 61st minute when Mueller entered as a second-half substitute. The World Cup winner high-fived supporters before kickoff and applauded the fans who gave him a standing ovation.
Minutes after coming on, Mueller fired the ball into the back of the net, but the effort was disallowed for offside.
“Mixed feelings, mixed feelings,” the 35-year-old said. “The result is disappointing, to be honest. But, yeah, I came in at my first moment directly with my first goal here. The crowd was going crazy, but then it was taken off for offside.”
Late Equalizer Spoils Vancouver’s Night
The Whitecaps looked set for three points until Houston Dynamo’s Artur struck from distance in stoppage time. The long-range goal made it 1-1 and denied Vancouver a crucial win in the Western Conference race.
“We had to win it clear,” Mueller said. “We had to get big chances. But in the end, yeah, it’s soccer and it can happen.”
The result left Vancouver third in the table with 46 points, six behind leaders San Diego and one behind Minnesota. San Diego also climbed to the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings after a 2-1 comeback victory over San Jose Earthquakes.
Despite the draw, Mueller enjoyed his MLS debut and the electric atmosphere. “But I’m very happy to be here. I think the crowd was amazing,” he said. “I’m happy now that my first game is in the books. I can start next week, just a regular week.”
Having won 13 Bundesliga titles and a World Cup with Germany, Mueller is now focused on settling into life in Vancouver. “I just have to settle down today after this game in my apartment and think about what happened this week — it was crazy stuff,” he said.
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